


Wounded Wings

by Black_D0g



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Again, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Behavior, Crimes & Criminals, Demons and Angels, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Heaven and Hell, Holding hands like sinful sinners, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Persona 5 Protagonist is a bit of a charmer, Persona 5 protagonist is sassy as fuck, Physical Abuse, Romance, Shy Mishima Yuuki, Suicide Attempt, Suzui Shiho centric, Suzui Shiho is a Phantom Thief, Suzui Shiho is a good friend, Takamaki Ann is a good friend, They're all good friends, it's what they do, probably, severe trigger warnings, the metaverse is different now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:02:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 27,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_D0g/pseuds/Black_D0g
Summary: "How far would you go to be a hero? If the world needed to be saved... would you do what had to be done? Do you still have the strength to do so?"Also on Fanfiction.Net
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Suzui Shiho, Kurusu Akira/Suzui Shiho, Persona 5 Protagonist/Suzui Shiho
Comments: 41
Kudos: 35





	1. Walk Away

_Before we begin... one thing must be known..._

_Persona 5 is owned by P-Studio, Atlus and Deep Silver._

_This is a non-profit fan-work, and the official release is deserving of your support..._

_Events...aesthetics... and some confidants will not be as you expect..._

_Only those who deem these terms as 'acceptable' may proceed to witness this tale..._

_Do you accept?_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_._

_So be it..._

_Then let this tale begin to unfold anew..._

_and it may it surprise you now, as it once did then..._

_welcome to a new and winding road,_

_its destination?_

_..._

we shall see

* * *

_The oldest human dream..._

_...is the dream of flying away._

_Back in those old, summer days, when we were young..._

_I remember pushing his wheelchair up a grassy hill, a gentle breeze drifting over us._

_A curtain of black falls over my eyes as we reach the top of the hill and he laughs, pushing my hair aside._

_"Shiho... you really need a haircut. If your bangs keep falling in your eyes, you wont be able to see." He smiles, in that disarming way as the sun makes his pale complexion lighter._

_Laughing shyly, I just shrugged a little bit as I turned away. "yeah, well it's fine for now."_

_He just gave that light, little chuckle he always gave. "No time like the present to go for that dream, and I don't think you can do that with your eyes covered up like that." His smile spreads a little more, for some reason I'm embarrassed, his light, messy hair tousled by the wind. "can you?"_

_It was such a silly thing, that crazy dream I think every child has at one time or another. "Sh-shut up!" he laughs at the way my cheeks huff up, getting mad like this. It only makes the feeling more intense, but he just grins at me. "it's not nice to tease..."_

_Feeling very small, I turn away, but he's insistent and keeps on talking like nothing just happened. "I'm not teasing, I wanna see you fulfill that dream someday."_

**_That_ ** _dream... that dream of being a hero who can fly...  
_

_Turning slowly on my heels, I look out toward the little town close by. Out over where we used to live. "The trouble is..." my voice is very small, and he looks at me curious now, without his smile. "don't you need wings in order to fly?"_

_..._

_Every now and then, I wonder... if I'd said something else that day..._

_Would he still be alive?_

_Would I have found that empty wheelchair, hanging awkwardly over the side of that bridge?_

_Would I be where I am right now?_

_It's not exactly like I'm really trying at that old dream, but every now and then, as I leap into the air..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_._

Her sneakers leave the ground with a spring, taking her into the air just long enough to strike the ball back over the net. As her jump reaches its peak, just when gravity starts to kick back in, a feeling of weightlessness takes hold. If she closed her eyes, she might feel time stop just long enough to believe it might never fade.

Free fall takes over as her blinking eyes open, and illusion of flight -so bittersweetly real- vanishes with her feet racing for the ground. Reality comes crashing back completely as she finds her footing, taking stance for her next move.

Volleyball... she's not sure how she came to be on the team, really. Idea after idea soared through her head as she grew up, trying to find something similar to being that hero who could fly. Once she thought of trying to be an astronaut, but hopes of that were dashed when she realized she wasn't smart enough. Of course, mother disagreed, saying she could do anything if she tried but... that just made it feel even more her fault, failing before she even began.

Maybe she could be a pilot? No, motion sickness made that one impossible too. It was bad on boats, trying to play video games, and on flights too. "It's different behind the controls" she faintly remembered someone saying, but she doubted that completely. Driving tests were nightmares as it was, though that may have been due to her nerves more than anything.

When she saw the fliers for the volleyball team, went to see them practice, the way some of the best members soared through the air moved her very roots. Approaching the coach, Mister Kamoshida, she managed to ask -timid- as she was if she could maybe try too. He gave this challenging little grin, and said 'only if she thought she could handle it... it would mean playing with the big kids after all.'

Not wanting to back from the challenge, Shiho clenched her fists and nodded. 'Playing with the big kids' turned out to mean that things were very rough.

Memories shattered and fell, moving aside as another spike from Kamoshida sent the ball careening into that one boy's stomach. Poor Mishima doubled over and clattered against the waxed, hardwood floor. As he lay there, groaning in pain and clutching his wounded middle, Kamoshida shook his head.

"Come on, get up." His voice made him sound almost bored, impatient. "You can expect the nationals to be twice as rough. Shrug it off and stand to."

A few nervous glances were exchanged between the players, hands rubbing at bandaged limbs or bruises. Sometimes both. The newer members of the team weren't so certain he was being honest, but the older ones knew he was lying...

As Mishima climbed to his feet, staggering a few times, Kamoshida scoffed. "Took your sweet time, now serve the ball."

With a gulp, the meek boy with bruises all over his face did as he was told. It wasn't a particularly impressive serve, but it got the job done. Shiho immediately saw what was coming next. Kamoshida wouldn't stand for such a sorry excuse of athleticism, and he made it known with actions rather than words. Leaping to, his hand swinging viciously, he sent the ball spiking back at poor Mishima.

When it hit his shoulder, even the teenagers used to the harsh treatment flinched. Mishima yelped, his voice strangling an outcry of pain as he fell again to the floor. Shiho gasped, her eyes wide, and she nearly ran to help him. A growl from Kamoshida stopped her cold, Mishima stirring slowly back to an upright position.

Kamoshida just sighed. "Pathetic... is this really the best you can do, Mishima?" Strolling around the net, his movement had most hesitant to breathe.

When their coach stooped, his hand outstretched, Mishima flinched. "W-wait!" Shiho called out, in a sudden moment of fright, worrying for what was coming next for the boy.

For a moment, Kamoshida's hand stayed, then he got that smile again. That same smile from months ago, when Shiho had asked to join the team. Then he picked up the ball instead of grabbing the boy's arm. "Mishima... why don't you take it easy for a bit. You're clearly not up for this right now."

That flicker of his eyes, darkness she thought she saw -like some errant shadow lurked behind them- indicated he'd seen his next target in her. Nerves alight with apprehension, Shiho gulped as Kamoshida stolled back to the other side of the net, another student taking Mishima's place. The ball was served, the same rough and unforgiving pace as before taking over the flow of the room.

As the moments rolled on by, spike after spike, pass after pass, the mood lulled down from its former fear and tension. The young players were able to jump about freely, finding their skills had been smoothed, ironed into something fine. Moving fluidly, coordinated like bees in their hive, they strode and jumped and danced across the court.

Footsteps light as feathers, heavy as thunder and quick as lightning. Shiho was able to live in that feeling of flight, for precious moments of her time, and she almost thought it safe to smile.

Until Kamoshida spiked the ball like a javelin, right into her knee. A startled, shrieking yelp forced itself free of her lungs. Her body reflexively curls inward, hands over her throbbing joint as her side, she shoulder and hip slam into the floor; like brittle rocks against an unyielding tree, she feels her bones cry out in protest over the harsh treatment.

As she lays there whimpering, Kamoshida can only roll his eyes, shaking his head. He chances a look at the bell, shaking his head and walking away with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Go to class." Then the bell rings, and they all head for their studies.

Shiho isn't so quick as them, flinching at the pain in her leg as she tries to stand. Face scrunching up with her renewed efforts, bracing herself ahead of the pain, she climbs up. Uneven and shaky footing, she bites her lip and stuffs down outcries of discomfort as she walks gingerly toward the doors. Into the lockerroom, out of her clothes -she always blushes at herself and everyone else- as everyone changes, then after a quick rinse, it's into her uniform she climbs.

The pain as she wanders to class is sharp and harsh, impossible to ignore. She has to stop, bracing herself up against the wall as she clutches her leg. Just a quick break, that was all she really needed. No need to go to the doctor, make a scene out of it or anything. Nothing that might get back to Kamoshida. No need for anyone to say anything that might make him kick her off the team.

"Hey, didja hear?" Her ears perk up, hearing a conversation around the corner. "That new transfer student? Supposedly he's arriving today."

She can almost feel the girl he's talking to shivering. "Ugh..." she groans, hugging herself. "I heard he's a super violent criminal... why does someone like that have to come here? Why can't they just lock him away?"

Shiho sighs, her heart sinking a little. Again with this? It's so distasteful... they hadn't even met him yet. For all they knew he wasn't anything like that. Circumstances of crimes weren't always one thing... well, _some_ crimes, at least.

"Meh," the boy shrugs, "as long as we steer clear and don't look him in the eyes I'm sure it'll be fine."

Shiho's about to start walking away, sighing and sad, when her leg throbs again. Biting her lip to stifle the outcry she knows is coming, she feels her teeth dig into her own skin.

"Still..." the girl whines, "what if that just makes him mad enough to lash out or something?"

As she thumps her head back against the wall, muttering to herself "you haven't even met him yet..." another figure makes their way over to her.

Clunky, uneven footsteps as they limp, panting lightly he growls softly. "Aw geez... these rumors again?" Shiho blinks, looking up -well, craning her face back down away from the ceiling- she sees that delinquent with the spiky, yellow hair. "Poor guys probably ear deep in em by now... what a welcoming party."

She noticed that his complexion was paler than usual, he'd been sweating too. Almost like he'd been running from something, scared stiff all the while. Although, there wasn't quite enough loss of color in his cheeks for that. Either it hadn't happened and she was misreading, or it was far enough in the past that he was okay. ...provided whatever was chasing him was no longer a problem, that is.

"Sakamato?" Her voice makes him give her a glance, eyebrow raised. "Are you... just showing up for school?"

He blushes, grinding his good heel against the floor. "H-hey! It aint like I meant to be late there was a whole bunch of mon-!"

Another presence behind him makes him quiet. A taller boy with a mop of frizzy, messy hair draped over a long face. Facial features were slender and pronounced, much like his physique and his glasses reflected light in a way that almost hid his eyes. He just gave Sakamato a nervous glance, gulping quietly. It was enough to quiet the delinquent, and they both sighed, one in relief and the other in frustration.

"Whatever..." Sakamato grumbled, limping away. "Like it matters, already missing half the day and all..."

Frowning dejectedly, the mop-haired boy just looked at the floor and sighed quietly to himself. Probably stewing over whatever made them so late. He was about to get moving when he noticed Shiho looking at him. Her shoulders tensed when he looked at her, looking at her curiously. He'd opened his mouth to speak when another set of voices reached their ears.

"You think that's him?" his expression increased in its inquisitiveness, turning toward the hushed tones's source.

"has to be... only someone so brazen as a criminal would befriend Sakamato on their first day."

His eyebrows twitched inward at their middle, eyes blinking once or twice. Was he... hurt by hearing that?

"Jeez no wonder... maybe he really did kill someone."

The way his shoulders drooped conviced her that he was, at the very least, demoralized now.

"Wasn't it just assault?"

"Maybe he crippled them..."

Hands sinking further into his pockets, he slowly turned back to Shiho. From the look on his face, as she blinked at him, he was reading that wide-eyed expression on her face as fear.

Slow to think or act, Shiho stammered out something, "w-wait, I-!" He flinched, saddened and discouraged, walking away without wieight in his step. "...Sorry." He didn't hear her over the din of the crowds, wandering to class.

"Shiho!" A lighter, happier voice called out, making her look up to see non other than her best friend with a smile on her face. "You're gonna be late if you keep standing there... like..." her smile vanished when she noticed the way she was holding her leg. "What happened?" she fussed, stepping closer. "Are you okay?"

Nervous, glancing about to see if anyone had heard them, Shiho nodded quickly. "I- I'm fine, Ann." Without making herself smile, it probably wasn't very convincing. "It just hurts a little."

Ann wan't having word one of that. "yeah, right. Look at it!" She peered closer, worry clear on her face. "It's all swollen to hell..." looking up at her face again, Ann whispered to her, making sure no one overheard. "Can you... still walk on it?"

Shiho didn't answer, shrinking against the wall and trying not to let her face betray how weak and helpless she felt. She knew she hadn't really succeeded. When the bell rang, Ann watched as everyone else payed them no mind. Pretending they weren't there or too busy with other things, the result was the same.

Of course... others were not so courteous.

"hey look, Kamoshida's bitch thinks she has a heart after all." Ann Flinched.

"I know girls like her..." murmured a feminine voice in the crowd, "she probably just took pity on Suzui, thinks she's better her and that being her friend is doing her a favor."

Another girl gave a groaning, sigh. "Ugh, girls like her are the worst... she'll probably dump Kamoshida once he gets the staff to raise her grades for her."

"Then its on to the next man she can use."

Sighing, masking everything she felt, Ann extended her hand to Shiho.

Looking at her friend, realizing she didn't have much in the way of options, Shiho sighed too and nodded, taking her hand. "Thank you, Ann..."

Ann didn't say anything, she just helped her hobble to the nurse's office.

_Just another typical day at Shujin academy..._

* * *

The nurse frowned, prodding at the knee with studious eyes. "Hmm..." Shiho waited for his prognosis, not daring to breathe. "Well, it's not broken or sprained, but you definitely shouldn't work that leg too hard."

Shiho sighed in relief, as did Ann. "So... I can still play?"

Ann's relief was quickly replaced with confounded refusal to believe what she'd just heard. "What?"

The nurse sighed. "Were you not listening? I just said not to work the leg too hard."

Fingers curled to her palms, Shiho put on a brave face. "... that wasn't a 'no'." Her eyes never left the medical practitioner's face, refusing to blink as he considered what she'd just put forward.

Releasing a very drained sigh, the nurse shook his head. "Fine. So long as you favor landings on your left leg and wear this." Reaching into a drawer he procured a long, black length of material that almost looked like a leg warmer. "It's a knee brace." He explained, noticing her face. "Just make sure you wear at all times, and take it off before you go to bed."

Nodding, Shiho took it and slipped out of her shoe to put it on. Ann smiled sadly at her. "...You're brave, Shiho."

_Just stubborn... it's the only way to live my dream. ...right?_

Making herself smile in return, Shiho broght the tight, black sleeve over her limb. "Not really... not like you."

For a moment, Ann's eyes darted to the nurse, but he was too busy with his computer to notice. Shoulders tightened, raised slightly, she gulped. "I... I don't really agree..."

There was something unspoken in the air between them, something the two of them didn't dare to discuss. Not out loud, not when anyone else could hear them. Get the wrong and worst possible idea. Silently agreeing to leave it at that, they started wandering to class. They'd be very late, but they suspected that would be fine. The new transfer student would be joining them after all, and he'd just missed half the day.

Some of the other students gave them odd looks as they slunk into the room. Mishima gave her a knowing look, noticing her knee brace. There was regret, guilt in his eyes. She wondered if he blamed himself... if he'd been tougher, roughed it out and bore with the pain, Shiho wouldn't have made herself Kamoshida's next target.

Not that anyone on the team was ever _not_ a target for his... coaching.

The two girls sat at their desks, at opposite sides of the room, then waited. Sure enough, not five minutes later, their teacher wandered in with... that guy with the dark, messy hair and glasses.

"...Being super late on his first day? He really is insane." One voice murmured among those now clamoring.

"He looks normal though..." whispered another.

A third gulped. "Yeah, but he might slug us if we look him in the eyes."

Their teacher, Ms. Kawakami sighed. "Settle down..." reluctantly, the gathered students did just that. "I'd like to introduce our new transfer student, I believe he can tell you his name."

Glancing them all over, a rather dejected look in his eyes, he spoke quietly. "I'm... Ren. Ren Akira." Looking them all over once more, not seeing the apprehension fading from their eyes, he said one thing more, not looking at any of them any longer. "It's nice to meet you all."

Ms. Kawakami nodded. "we had him attend classes from the afternoon on, since he wasn't feeling well." Another lie no one in the room dared to believe.

One student leaned toward Mishima, whispering behind him. "he seems quiet, but I bet when he loses it..."

"I mean he was arrested for assault, right?" Mishima squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, not wanting to look at anyone but especially not Akira.

Clearing her throat, Ms Kawakami spoke as calmly as she could. "So," everyone quieted once again, "Your seat will be..." she took a few moments to search about the room for an open desk. "Right over there, by the window. It's the only one open." The seat right behind Ann's, no less. "Sorry, but can the people nearby please share their textbooks with him for today?"

As he started wandering toward his seat those near him grumbled. Clearly, it wasn't punishment enough just having in their class, now they _had_ to interact with him. Mishima just looked frightened, glad it wasn't him having to deal with this dangerous guy. His hands rubbed at his stomach as he shivered, feeling the air change as Akira walked to his seat.

Ann, glaring out the window, whispered harshly. "lies..."

Akira stopped, his expression flickering with recognition. "You're that girl..."

Gritting her teeth, one of her hands clenched, Ann made a noise of displeasure, hearing the rumors before they'd even begun to form. Sure enough, as she'd predicted, the other students started muttering about them. The one thing that really stood out was how they murmured about him and her being an item, whispering about her cheating on him with Kamoshida.

Shiho flinched, clenching her own fingers now.

_They're not... together..._

Not that anyone cared. Not that anyone ever would care... it just fed the already popular rumor that she was 'slutty'. A girl with a body like hers? Yeah, of course the guys wanted to believe that. It made her ill... Ms Kawakami said something about everyone have only just changed classes, for the new semester, and that everyone should take this chance to get to know each other.

It wouldn't go the way she thought, the way she hoped. Anyone near Akira just avoided speaking to him, when opportunity to speak did arise. She saw it was the same with Ann, just like usual. The believers of the rumor mill kept her at arms length, the eternally shy or judgemental just stayed away. Sometimes Shiho thought that she was the only friend Ann really had.

In fact, she was...

At least the day was almost over.

...

It wasn't a very long ride on the train home, the walk was even shorter. Thanks to her new brace, the walk wasn't painful almost at all. When mom saw her though... that was another story.

"Shiho!" She dropped the takeout canisters she'd ordered and ran over to her daughter, drawing her tightly into her arms. The daughter didn't have time to say anything before being brought to arm's length, a mother's worrying eyes giving her a once over. "What happened? Why are you wearing that brace?"

Laughing nervously, she waved her hands from side to side. "I-I just got clumsy at practice, mom. It's nothing, really..."

Her mother, Ms Suzui, frowned and reached behind herself to pull out a chair for her. "You keep saying that," she fussed, as she brushed some of her graying hair behind her ear, "but I've seen the injuries on your classmates too..."

Shiho bit her lip, looking away from her.

"Shiho..." her mother spoke softly, "if something's going on... you know you can tell me right?" That look in her eyes was so... fragile. Hopeful, fearful, pensive and somehow already knowing what the answer would be.

Memories from her own teenage years, informing her of what was already passing through her daughter's lips. "...it's really nothing." Stooping low, she set her bag aside. "I'm gonna go take my meds, okay?"

Nodding, her mother moved aside, letting her advance to her room. Once beyond the threshold of her door, Shiho closed it and leaned back against it, letting the weight of the world slip off her shoulders. Her eyes were slow to open, feeling sticky and heavy as though made of steel. They dragged upward, looking over her messy, messy room. Clothes littered the floor, homework strewn out over her desk. Blankets lying across the bed like tattered tissues, leaving the wrinkled sheets exposed to the air.

She half walked, half limped to her dresser -drawers eternally hanging open- and reached for a topple pill bottle. Popping off the lid, reaching for an old, stale glass of water she read the label. "Shiho Suzui - Paxil". It was about the strongest antidepressant money -or insurance- could afford, at a very high dose. Any more and Shiho suspected her brain might fry. Sighing, she threw a pill into her mouth and washed it down.

_Like it helps..._

Her eyes drifted over the surface of her dresser, finding wrinkled socks and crumbled papers obscuring her photographs. Brushing them aside, she looked at one of the two pictures she cared about. It was her, standing on the hill and smiling... next to him. There was a grin on his face, hands folded over an old book in his lap. His smile was so bright, so carefree, it almost outshone the sun hanging above them. The light, glittering off of his fair colored hair.

She closed her eyes...

_The camera snapped, she and her laughed when they were allowed to stop enunciating the last syllable of the word "cheese" like a mantra. Her father rolled his eyes at their childishness, stomping away with a cigarette between his teeth as mother hummed through a smile._

_"Yup," she said, looking at her phone, "that's a keeper." Looking to her friend, she added, "would like a copy once it's printed?"_

_His smile went somehow wider. "Yes please!" She laughed, nodding and wandering away toward her husband._

_"I like your mom." he said quietly, brushing his hair behind his ear and giving her a sidelong look._

_She just nodded. "Mhmm. She's my hero! One day I wanna be strong just like her!" She threw her fist into the sky. "The firefighter, leaping into burning buildings for the puppies!" A true story, no less._

_He laughed, not sure what to reply, opening his mouth to say something but it never escaped his lips. Something caught his eye, then hers. Father had gripped mother's arm, she'd yelped and pulled away. Her sleeve was pushed and rumpled, revealing-_

_"...Bruises?" both children whispered, as mother quickly recovered her arm._

_Slowly, as the parents hissed at each other in hushed tones, he turned to her. "From her job... right?"_

_She was slow to answer, her smile flickering as her eyes twitched open wider. "yup!" She chirped, forcing herself to keep on sounding chipper. "that's my mom! She'll risk life and limb to help people in danger!"_

_Blinking once or twice, he laughed, sounding insincere. "Yeah..." Then his smile disappeared as he stared at the book in his lap. His hands still obscured the cover, the kanji unreadable to her eyes. "...What would he do...?"_

_She blinked. "Huh?"_

_"Oh," his smile came back, bright as ever, "it's nothing."_

_..._

_..._

"It's nothing..." Shiho breathed, looking at one of the few good pictures of her and mom. The one where 'dad' have been cut out, leaving only his arm around the two of them. "It's always nothing..." pulling her sweater off, over her head then discarding her uniform in total, she reached for a pair of shorts and a hoodie.

Once she was dressed again, walking -not limping- to the couch to join mom, she grabbed the takeout set aside for her. They watched and ate in silence, and Shiho looked at her mother's fingers. The rings were long gone, pawned off to help them put a deposit on their new apartment, but... not the scars. Thin and jagged lines from sharp objects, splotches from burns and the odd, awkward quirk of some of her fingertips. Broken bones that hadn't healed quite right.

It had been years since she'd set foot in the fire department, having long since shifted her career to an EMT. Considering all the emergency calls that were simply dealing with overdoses she'd already had as a firefighter, it wasn't much of a change for her. Depressingly, the pay was better too and it needed to be now that it was just them.

Shiho remembered the night, but tried not to. A lot of yelling, screaming, then a loud crash and some muffled cries. She ran from her room, saw that father was... a monster, with a knife in his hand and screamed. Tossing her wounded mom aside, 'father' chased after her and tried to shut her up. It wasn't her or mom that called the police. Someone outside, someone who'd heard everything, had been their savior.

As her mother brushed her hair aside, tucking it behind her ear again, Shiho could faintly make out the scar left by the knife, just behind her ear, trailing down the side of her neck. It took her years to stop wearing scarves after that, further years still to stop trying to cover it with makeup. When she remembered that night, the details as detached from feelings as she could make them, she often wondered what mom ever saw in him.

Why she bothered to put up with such treatment.

...

_Is that... why I'm...?_

Shaking her head, Shiho quickly ate what she had and walked her dishes to the kitchen. "Thanks mom."

Smiling, she nodded. "Anytime, sweetie. are you going to bed?" Shiho nodded, finally letting her hair down. "I'll be quiet for you. Sleep tight, my little athlete."

Her turn to smile, but it wasn't very lively. "Thanks, mom..."

* * *

On the following day, tuesday, April 12th, 2016, it was difficult to pay attention in class. Between the pain in her leg and the impending Volley Ball rally, her brain didn't have much room to listen or store much of anything with. Classes concluded, the bell rang, she gathered up her things. Practice for the rally was already underway.

There she was again, soaring through the air, twisting her arms about in that frantic dance to win. The onslaught that was Kamoshida's returning the ball never relented nor eased once, leaving them ragged and out of breath. Luckily, no one seemed to be bearing the brunt of his aggression today. In fact... he seemed to have a glint in his eyes.

This was less about punishment and more about improving, if his general demeanor was anything to go by. Something must have made him happy. Perhaps... In either case, it meant the game could flow without fear for once. So she indulged that little escape, as her adrenaline soared with her feet off the ground. Moments stretched, that familiar feeling of weightlessness overtaking her awareness.

Like drifting through currents, along the path of a gentle river, with the wind pushing at your face. But falling isn't flying, and Shiho would inevitably have to wake from these moments, now and then, to leap back up, toss the ball back over the net. Her leg would protest now and then, and the relative ease of play left her mind to wander.

_For Kamoshida being in such a good mood... did...did Ann...? No she wouldn't have. She wouldn't have submitted to that... would she?_

It made her shudder to consider it, almost vile. That she might have to relent to such a thing, just so her fellow students could be free of his abuse. To only twist the tainted knife in her guts, she remembered that all the while... Ann was the subject or derision. Idle gossip that besmirched her name. People who subscribed to that sort of thinking... it was a wonder, if Ann would even consider protecting them.

Still, even should all that not be true, something had changed his mood. Landing again, coming down from the high that only 'flight' could grant her, she noticed a glint in his eyes when Kamoshida looked at her. Something calculating behind those eyes, some shifting darkness, a cloak of some specter that lurked within his mind. Something... twisted that he listened to with increasing levity, at its promise of satisfaction.

The sight sent a chill crawling across her skin, down her spine, and almost felt like throw up. Kamoshida seemed to indeed be affected by this presence behind his eyes, as his next spike was just a little faster... just a little harder, and the ball sent Mishima crashing down once again. Shiho gasped, turning to him and running over at once.

"Mishima!" The ball had crashed right into his face, doubtlessly leaving dark, painful bruises. She knelt by his side, wincing at the pain in her leg as she did. "Hey, a-are you okay?"

He groaned, eyes slow to open. "Uh... huh?"

A feeling of pity, sympathy and disgust wormed through her. Acting on what she felt for this poor boy, she offered him her hand. "Here, come on, okay?"

As she brought him up, helping him stand, she thought she noticed that calculating flicker in Kamoshida's eyes again. He grinned, clapping his hands once or twice. "Alright everyone. Rest up for tomorrow... you might need it for the volley ball rally."

And as he wandered right on by, past the others to the door, his eyes remained on her a second more. It was only for a moment, but there was a little, dark smirk perched upon his lips as his eyes remained. Then it was gone, along with him, leaving a cold sense of dread in his wake. She and Mishima exchanged a nervous look.

Had they... just exposed a weakness for Kamoshida to exploit? Is that what he thought he'd seen?

Mishima, small though his voice was, spoke first. "I-... I'm sorry..."

Shiho tried to smile. "It wasn't your fault... he seems to have it out for you for no reason."

The boy flinched, eyes flickering with fear. "Not exactly comforting, Suzui..." as they climbed to their feet, she flinched, hissing in pain as she reached relexively for her knee. Giving her a frown, he gestured to her knee. "That bad?"

As he'd already seen the truth, she decided against lying. "yeah..." it made her feel... small.

Mishima offered a consoling smile. "Meet me here after you're cleaned up?"

Reluctantly, she nodded, then made her way to the girl's locker room. As the others left it vacant, she stripped, showered, then redressed. True to his word, Mishima was there waiting. His eyes had to force themselves up, his shoulders a little tense as he blushed. Why was he... oh. Blushing herself, Shiho pulled her sweater over her head.

Damnable carelessness... she should've spent just a little more time toweling off. "S-so..." she stammered, clearing her throat. "What's, um, what's on your mind?"

His eyes fluttered, a look of confusion on his face for a moment. Brain reboot... "Oh! Right," he delved a hand into his pocket, procuring a few pills, "here, it's just some painkillers."

Regarding them nervously, Shiho hesitated. "Uh... like... opiates?"

"What? No, nothing like that." He almost laughed. "Just some over the counter stuff. Acetaminophen and Naproxen. The naproxen supplements the aceto, because too much aceto will... well it hurts your liver. Naproxen is something can be safely added to that, in order to mitigate the pain a little more."

Slowly, she reached out and accepted the pills. "How do you know all this?"

Looking around, making sure no one was there to overhear, he leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "You know that doctor all those rumors are about?" Slowly, somewhat skeptically, Shiho nodded. "Well... I don't know about the rumors but, she helped me figure out what to take without a prescription. I didn't want my parents to know how much pain I was in, so..."

Wincing, she nodded. "I hear you..." then, looking at the pills, she sighed and slugged them back. Dry swallowing looked so easy on tv... "You can get these at any pharmacy?"

Mishima nodded. "Just be really careful with the doses, you don't wanna take to much of either one and definitely don't wanna make a habit out of taking them. It um... it's risky..."

She sighed, nodding again. "Right... thank you, Mishima."

Smiling, he started for the door. "Hey, if we don't look out for each other who will?" just as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how hollow and meaningless they sounded. "...take care."

She replied with a small voice. "You too..."

She stood there, sulking for a few moments, fists clenched and staring at the floor. Sighing, summoning her reslove, Shiho started walking away. She was out the door, walking toward the school entrance, failing to notice one sight in particular: Kamoshida, whispering with the school nurse.

Not seeing this particular sight, she wandered outside.

"For real?"

A voice, a boy was panting, exasperated. "...Sakamato?" Whispering to herself, she tiptoed closer to the voice and peered down the school's front steps.

He was standing at the bottom, talking to... Akira? "Is it smaller than we think it is? ...What do you think?"

_Is... what?_

Tip toeing forward, she crouched and hit behind a nearby trashcan, listening as Akira sighed. "Check your phone."

Sakamato frowned. "I already did that, didn't see anything like it around here..."

Now Shiho was getting very curious. Anything like what? Some secret location they'd found near the school?

Then, as she pondered something occured to Sakamato. "Hey, that reminds me: didn't you have a navigation app... thingy on back then?" This seemed to confuse Akira, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I dunno if it was or not, but I heard stuff that sounded like one comin from your phone. Y'know, didn't say stuff like 'returned to the real world' or somethin like that?"

Akira puzzled about this for a second, deigning to take this madness seriously. "Now that you mention it..."

Sporting a grin as Akira procured his phone from his pocket, Sakamoto seemed to hatch an idea. "Here, lemme see your phone for a bit." With a shrug, Akira handed it over, the blond snatching it right away from him with such force that it gave the taller boy pause. "...What's this eyeball looking thing?"

Chuckling, Akira shrugged again. "Cute logo, huh?"

Sakamoto was not enthused by this playful remark. "...that's not how I'd describe it." Frowning at his friend's phone, he added one thing mostly to himself. "What a weird app." Then his facial expression changed completely, like he'd just made the discovery of the century. "Oh, wait! This is it!"

_What are these two doing? Do they know how strange this all sounds?_

The blond pumped his fist, showing Akira the screen. "I knew it! This is a navigation app! There's even your search history!" Smile widening, one hand behind his head and with one eye closed, the delinquint probably thought that pose looked cool. "Aw man, I'm such a genius!"

Well, his antics seemed to amuse the other boy.

Until he said what he said next. "Let's try usin it."

Then Akira seemed to grow hesitant. "I dunno about this..."

The other boy didn't pay that attitude much mind. "Why? All we're doin is startin an app."

With a few presses of his finger to the screen, Sakamoto activated something. A mechanical, dronnig voice started speaking, it filled Shiho with a sense of dread. "Kamoshida... Shujin Academy... Pervert... Castle..."

_...What the fu-?_

" ** _What the_** _**hell!?** "_

Air around them began to warp like overheated metal, twisting and morphing into some bizarre new arrangement. A pulsing sound overwhelmed her ears, the sky seemed to snap, fall to the earth and then bloom anew above. She blinked, and when she opened her eyes... She wasn't hiding outside Shujin Academy anymore.

Shiho was hiding outside a castle's front gate.

"Wh-...what?" She fell onto her backside, trembling at the sight before her.

Sakamoto was... not so quiet. "What the hell!?" he blurted out again. "This is the castle from yesterday!"

_Y-yesterday? When they got lost or something? ... **What!?**_

They payed her no mind, running straight at the building, right up to the front gate. As Shiho gaped, eyes wide, jaw trembling and face pale the boys utterly failed to notice her. "We made it back..." Sakamoto murmured, in awe. "then that means what happened yesterday was for real too..."

**_I have so many questions!_ **

Slowly, very shakily, Shiho climbed back to her feet, just in time for Sakamoto to shriek in shock. "Th-those clothes again!" Glancing down at himself, Akira seemed nonplussed, taking the... rather radical change in his attire in stride. "That happened last time too, right?! What's with that outfit!?"

Chuckling deviously, Akira -at least, she thought it was Akira... who else could it be?- leaned back, a casual tilt of his shoulders as he craned his neck to one side. Smiling impishly, his eyes drifted to one side as his arms pivoted, splayed to the sides at the elbows. "You jelly?"

It _was_ quite the outfit... It appeared to be an elegant, black suit adorned with a long, ornate, red coat and gloves. His shoes were red too, now that she noticed them and he was wearing an impressive looking tophat over a an angular, pointy black and red mask over his eyes. She had some vague impression that his clothes -even for this... place- weren't quite what most would have expected... an occurrence some feeling told her would _not_ be limited to this one occasion.

In any case, his blatant pride in his own attire seemed to put Sakamoto off base. "N- No... I ain't jealous." Then turning back to the castle, he fumed aloud. "What's going on here!? This makes no effin sense!"

Another round of chuckling and Akira shruged, sighing bemusedly. "Tone it down... if we're noticed? You're screwed."

Both Shiho and Sakamoto's faces jerked toward him. "Huh!?"

He put a gloved finger to his lips. "Shhh... I'll explain. Just, keep your voice down." Slowly, moving the hand away from his face, chuckling at Sakamoto's continued confusion. "You are persistent..." Though his tone was far from serious, bearing the lilt of one who's wit was sharper than any blade, Akira's eyes... "I was waiting to see if you'd give up on coming back to this place, but you've... got the wings of rebellion in you."

Akira's eyes were icy, brilliant razor blades bearing sign of no jest nor quip. His gaze was a piercing warning, a declaration that he meant business. A declaration that Sakamoto was not perturbed by. "Wings of- what the hell're you talkin about!?"

Laughing again, Akira put a finger to his lips. "I told you... keep quiet now." At this, the delinquent seemed to calm. "Come on... you came back here to see if you could save them, right?" Blinking a few times, Sakamoto nodded. "Well... you can't do that here."

Taken aback, his expression screaming of heartache and betrayal. "Wha-" then his expression went back to rage. "Then what the hell was the point of all this then!? Why the run around if-!?"

Smile gone, Akira's hand covered Sakamoto's mouth. "Quiet." When he spoke, there was no room for any other voice. His companion, and Shiho, heeded this final order and nodded. "Good. I'll help you put this right, consider that a promise." He withdrew his hand and breathed some tension free. "Now then... the two of you? Follow me, and _don't_ yell at her, Ryuji."

Her heart stopped, taking an involuntary step back as Sakamoto searched about in shock, until he saw her. His haw dropped, pointing at her as he tried -and summarily failed- to vocalize at all. While she flinched, stature shrinking slightly, as he pointed right at her and turned a face silently demanding answered to Akira's back.

"She followed us here of her own volition," he didn't even turn around to face them, he just pulled a grate off of... a ventilation shaft? "She's also got some valid reasons for wanting the same thing you do. I'd say she has the right to tag along." Turning over his older, his piercing eye gazed sidelong, right into hers. "Isn't that right, miss...?"

Gulping, finding her voice, Shiho barely whispered. "Su-Suzui." Then, somewhat louder, as she started following she added, "I'm Shiho Suzui."

Akira smiled softly. "You're in good hands, Suzui. Just make sure and speak up if that leg starts acting up, alright?"

Her breathe seemed to leave her, heat in her cheeks as she nodded unconsciously. Following after him, climbing into the vent, she heard Sakamoto fume. "What so she just gets to- Arrgh!" he growled, no doubt pouting as he followed after her. "Fine, whatever... so long as she doesn't slow us down..."

From the lack of confidence as he murmured, Shiho guessed he probably had experience in hindering the one they now followed. All the same, she was far to curious, too afraid to question the third in their company; she wanted answers now, to know just what all this was about. A castle appearing out of nowhere, right over where the school had been... what kind of madness had she fallen into.

Once they entered the structure, Akira was already peering around a corner, down a hall through a door. "Okay... looks like almost everyone cleared out. I don't see any shadows, but we should be silent." Glancing casually over his shoulder, he beckoned for them to follow. "The gym, right?" Shiho blinked, Sakamoto just crawled out of the duct without a hint of grace.

Not getting a reply, Akira patiently spoke again, just as quietly. "That's where most of it happens?"

Realizing what he meant, Shiho nodded. "Ah, yeah. That's right..."

A steely, determined look in his eyes, the... whatever he was turned back to the hall. Wordlessly, soundlessly, he strode onward. As they walked along, Shiho's leg was silent too, although Sakamoto wasn't quite so stealthy. "So... if we can't save the folks we saw here last time... then what the hell was the point in comin back?" He murmured, eyes dancing across their surroundings with great skepticism.

Akira's reply was direct, short near to the point of being curt. "Seeing the truth."

Sakamoto and Shiho exchanged a glance, silently questioning each other and finding no answers where their eyes did linger. While she shrugged, he sighed.

Shiho quietly cleared her throat. "What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like..." Akira whispered, leading them along.

Resigning themselves to silence, the trio wandered on through the misshapen, darkened halls. Banners bearing a royal crest, little more than Kamoshida's face, were draped generously about, almost to the point of being obscene.

Statues of a woman's upper body, clad in naught but a pair of panties lined the halls as well. Sakamoto blushed, muttering something as he tugged his collar while Shiho shyly bunched up her shoulders and tried not to compare herself to the... busts? Well, not what the statues would have been called, but... that wasn't precisely wrong...

_I don't like this place..._

Crossing her arms, frowning as she tried to keep her steps from being too loud, she noted how cold and empty this castle felt. Not a soul in sight save for them, and... her eyes widened and she yelped, jumping behind Skamoto. He didn't react much better, opting to -when asked later- 'shriek in a manly manner' as the... things drifted by them.

Then he growled. "Those things again!?"

Like the threadbare remnants of cobwebs, black dust in shape of curtains wreathing translucent, shadowy figures without legs, they just drifted along. Ghosts, voiceless specters lingering in vacant halls, wandering aimlessly through wall and corridor.

Shiho hissed, pointing at them with a shaking finger and wide eyes. "Wh-what are they?"

"Echoes." Akira answered, not even slowing down. "Impressions left behind by strong emotions, voices that refuse to be ignored even long after their owners have gone."

Blinking, the two who followed him just looked at him, gaping.

Akira merely smirked. "You asked." Then he winked.

Both the delinquent and the athlete exchanged another worried look. Gulping, they nodded to each other and walked along after him again. "I uh... don't think we've met?" Shiho chanced, smiling as kindly as she could.

The blond shrugged. "Well, maybe not officially..." thrusting a thumb at himself, he grinned at her. "Name's Ruji Sakamoto. Guess you can just call me Ryuji, and I already got your name." Hand back to his pocket, his smile softened a bit, head tilting inquisitively. "What should I call you though?"

Her smile softened too, taking on a more genuine appearance. "Oh, ah either way is fine." Ryuji shrugged, not opting to decide or at least voice his decision just yet.

It didn't take them much longer to reach the location they sought. Akira pushed open a set of massive, double doors and they'd arrived at their destination. Instead of finding a gymnasium, what sprawled before them was... a cross between some gladiatorial arena and a shrine. At the head of the room was an enormous statue of their Gym teacher, clad in... a cape and little else.

Ryuji snarled in disgust. "Gad... talk about gross..."

Shiho was just trying not to look directly at it. "The statue or...?"

"Everything!"

Sighing, Akira stepped forward, gazing up at the shadow with a scrutinizing eye. "Yeah... this is the place alright..." Turning back around, toward the room, he waited.

Walking over to him, the others stood by his sides. "So..." Ryuji muttered, glancing about, "gonna explain now?"

Akira gave him a patient glance, considering his words for a moment. "You wanna know why we can't save the students who were trapped her last time, right?"

Ryuji nodded, and as if on cue, thin outlines of people appeared. Shiho... recognized them. These were-

"There is your answer," Akira said, pointing decisively at these newcomers, "the people you saw last time?" Shiho approached, watching as these... echoes moved frantically about the room. "They were the same as those 'things' in the hallways. They're just more recent than the others."

It wasn't volleyball they were playing, her compatriots were... competing with weapons against a goliath. A man towering above them all, sneering with glee as his talons, claws tore through them all, casting them aside. When the goliath laughed, she recognized the voice as Kamoshida's.

"Why?" She breathed, turning back to Akira with horror on her face. "This- this isn't what happened!"

Akira's face softened, looking at her with... recognition. "Isn't it?" She turned back, watching as Mishima, as others -herself- were wounded for the man's sadistic amusement. "It might not be literal... but can really say it's so different?" She walked through the room, taking it all in.

Boys sprinting on a treadmill, screaming that they needed water, that their legs hurt, and respite was refused to them.

Rigorous, brutal 'sparring matches' where Kamoshida... broke his students, his wards a piece at a time.

Perhaps most sickening of all, was what she saw last. All individual displays, never him with the same girl, relentlessly... harassing his female students. Soliciting them for sex, handling their rejection with a closed fist, shoving them to the ground and walking over them. And if they said yes? Her stomach nearly emptied itself just looking. The harsh, violently rough sounds would be the stuff of her nightmares later.

Ruji clenched his fists. "This..." his teeth grit, so hard they threatened to snap. "Is a buncha echoes, right?" Spinning on his heels, he grabbed Akira's collar. "That means shit like this has happened for real, right!?" Akira didn't even blink, he just let the other boy growl. "That means this bastard is- is-!?"

Akira's hands reached up, gently gripping Ryuji's. "It does..."

The feeling of her heart sinking, left Shiho's body feeling like a hollow mass of ice. Falling to her knees, eyes wide and lip trembling, the sounds of the room washed over them all. Ryuji, body trembling, released Akira. In a stuttering rush of movement, he slammed his fist into the wall hard enough to crack it. "FUCK!"

No one said anything, the echoes faded, leaving them all in silence. It had been... so long since a terror like this had snaked its way through Shiho's form, making her innards squirm and leaving her fingers cold. The last time had involved a knife stabbing its way through a locked bathroom door, her father howling with rage and her screaming and crying as if her life was about to end.

Only now, instead of knowing she had to move, she was frozen in place. Her legs refused to move, voice refused to function as all she'd learned echoed in her brain. Emotions crawled like a million tiny fingers, inching their way with agonizing slowness across her skin. Disgust, hatred, fear but chief among them was realization.

 _This... this is how he sees us..._ her fist clenched, _that's how he thinks of me... what he'll do to Ann if she-_

"What can we do?" Ryuji's voice cut through the silence like a gunshot, demanding reply. He spun around, teeth bared as he hissed in fury. "How the hell can we stop this bullshit!?"

Akira just looked at him, carefully considering what he'd say next. "It wont be pretty."

"I DON'T CARE!" Flinching at the noise, eyes darting to the door, the., their guide just listened to the yelling blond. "He needs to be stopped, have his goddamned heart ripped out and remade!"

Akira's eyes narrowed. "This isn't a fairy tale, Ryuji..." the weight of those words could have cracked asia in two. "If just... changing someone like that were possible, I'd have done it by now."

"Then what!?" Ryuji demanded, fists clenched by his sides. "What the hell's it gonna take to end this crap!?"

Hesitating, mouth slow to open, Akira's next words... might as well have been an explosion, as he breathed them out so quietly. "We... kill him."

Both Ryuji's and Shiho's faces sunk, their eyes wide open and jaws dropped.

It... it wasn't a joke. He was being serious. "Either that? or we use this place, this... distortion over our world to hurt him, make him fear for his life until he atones for his sins. Though you should know... that's risky as hell." Shiho, blinked, a clenched fist in front of her chest. "It runs the risk of being discovered, especially if we don't really succeed and the Kamoshida we fight here bluffs us out."

Finding his resolve, Ryuji's eyes mirrored Akira's and he stepped forward. "Tell me what I gotta do."

Shiho expected him to smile, to say something inspiring, to... encourage his friend. If only this were a lighter world, a place where such things were... commonplace. Instead, he stepped forward and met him halfway, a gun in his hand and offered to Ryuji. "The wings of rebellion, that dwell inside you..." Ryuji's breath stopped, right along with Shiho's. "they have to be set free."

The implication was a knife through their skulls, deadly and unmistakable. She felt her heartbeat skip in fear, Ryuji merely grabbed the handle of the gun. "So... I've gotta die, huh?"

Akira nodded. "And you have to accept that death, and the rebirth that follows." A hand off to one side, it soon flickered with... darkened, purple flame, a face like a jack-o-lantern laughing at it core as it wreathed his gloved hand. "These clothes you like," he smirked, "this power I wield... its thanks to the persona I have donned, within this distorted reality." he raised the hand above his head, daring to speak with authority. "The persona of Arsene Lupin, gentleman thief."

Slow to lower his hand, he aimed the cursed flame at Ryuji. "What voice do you hear within? What ... shadow have you not personified in waking moments?" Ryuji closed his eyes, listening closely. "Hear its name... feel its energy... and embrace it. Shed your skin, and break the chains that bind your heart!"

It was with an eerily calm smile that Ryuji opened his eyes. "I hear a thunderous voice... Captain Kidd!" His grin went wild as took the gun and put it to his own throat.

Eyes wide as could be, realizing the boys had gone insane, Shiho leapt to her feet to stop him. "RYU-!"

The gunshot... made no sound at all. Ryuji's throat just burst at both sides and his body fell back. Shiho's went impossibly wider, her mouth opened to scream, but then something impossible happened: a blast of lightning fell from heaven and set Ryuji's body alight.

His clothes twisted, changing as wound healed. "I am though... though art I..." he drew in a deep breath and grinned again. "Damn... this is... this is awesome!"

His fists clenched, lighting crackling around his fingers as a silver skull covered his face, the hat of a pirate's captain perched atop his head. A blue waist-coat with tattered tails adorned his body, standing proud on his shoulders. Large, black cuffs matching his gloves and boots with flared cuffs rested on his feet. In short, he was... dressed like a flashy, electric pirate captain.

As the realization that he was alive, bursting with life at the seems, settled into her brain, Akira took a catious step toward her. "Suzui?" She blinked, quaking with fear. "The same wings... I see them within you." His voice was soft, comforting almost. "But it's up to you... whether or not you want to set them free."

Trembling, taking several moments to find her voice, Shiho gulped back her fear. "Wh-why would I want to do that?"

His reply was as soft as his previously delivered speech, he even smiled a little. "...Have you ever wished you could change the world?" She gasped, eyes fluttering wide. "Wanted to reach out and right the wrongs being committed in it?"

She took a step back, her knees refusing to stay still. Teeth clattered in her mouth, lip quivering as she refused to blink. Ryuji turned around, regarding her with worried eyes, removing his mask and revealing a kind face. But this feeling... this cold, unrelenting fear... she couldn't shake it, couldn't turn away from it. It had a hold on her like chains over her very skin, and she was afraid to find out what would might break free of them.

_All my life... I've dreamed of the day I could be a hero with wings, taking flight to change the world..._

"This might not be what you imagined..." reaching toward her, he offered her his hand. "but I can promise that it works."

_...is this... my chance?_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_._

* * *

_"Finally..._   
_I'm falling..._   
_And fooling..._   
_myself that it's flight-_

_-Imperfect..._   
_I plummet..._   
_and ponder..._   
_pushed away on principal..._

_Walk away..._   
_and I stare..._

_Would you stand me up again?_

_Wonder if I said too much..._   
_and will never speak again._

_Forfeit..._   
_My future..._   
_For feelings of few far betweens_   
_Mindless..._

_Of merci..._   
_ful Measures,_   
_Making ends preempt the means._

_As I searched your eyes for an answer,_   
_and shuttered at what I found there..._

_my skin shrunk away from conclusion..._   
_That you lack the strength to care."_


	2. Additional Memory

_AN: this chapter, now with more Ren Akira._

* * *

_Flies were buzzing around my head... the ticking of the clock is the only sound I hear, echoing like hammers against steel in a large, empty room. Shivering even with the heat being what it was, I can't look up from my lap, curled tight and hugging a pillow to my face. It's mid-afternoon, after school by now. There's a calendar hanging close by, day after day after day is marked as 'the day I return to school' only to be crossed out, then written on the next.  
_

_We stopped doing that three days ago..._

_Outside there's someone yelling, and I instinctively freeze. Eyes wide, they turn to the door._

_"Well, if it isn't the damn snitch. Don't let me catch you skulking around here at night again, or you'll be the one the cops show up to collect!" I never did like that grouchy, old neighbor..._

**_Knock, knock..._ **

_"hey... Shiho? It's me... are you home?"_

_It really shouldn't have come as a surprise, that he'd come by to see me. All the same, it did and I couldn't answer at first._ _It wasn't because I'd connected the dots... I wouldn't do that for years to come, when it was far too late._

_"I just wanted to know if you were okay."_

_I curled even tighter into a ball, hugging the pillow to my face.  
_

_"...okay."_

_On my feet and running to the door, it was open in a flash. My eyes barely saw the way he looked at me, eyes wide and worrying. He almost looked like he might have been happy... but he saw the tears on my face._

_"Shiho..." his voice barely a breath, fragile and small._

_My body moves on its own, arms around his chest as I start sobbing into his shoulder. He looks into my home, sees the tissues, the dishes left lying around... the curtains blocking off all the light. Dust lies on every surface, a smell of trash and old meals lingers in the air. I hear the sound of him locking the brakes on his wheelchair, then feel his arms around me._

_His voice is the most soothing thing I've heard in weeks. "I'm so happy you're not hurt." It makes my heart twist up in my chest. "Sorry I didn't come by sooner... I'm sorry you've been left living like this..." Then it makes my sobbing louder._

_Fingers grip tight at the fabric of my shirt, I feel his face against my shoulder. Something warm wets my shoulder and I hear him sniffle._

_"Wh-" I squawk, sniffling myself. "why are you crying too?"_

_He just holds me tighter, sniffling again. "...Do I really have to say it?"_

_I hadn't connected the dots..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_._

Akira stood there, waiting, with his hand outstretched to her for some time. She made no motions, no sign of accepting the gesture; symbolic or otherwise. Something in Akira's shoulders seemed to sink, his countenance doing much the same.

"I see..." he said, lowering his hand slowly, "it is ultimately up to you, Suzui."

Still shaking, still breathing a little heavier and quicker than normal, she gulped. Another step back, away from him was taken, heart hammering in her chest. She wasn't sure her ribs could withstand the assault of the beating pump, working overtime thanks to her adrenaline.

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head. "So... you're not interested in helpin us, huh?" He frowned, clearly disappointed. "That's completely unexpected."

Finding her voice, jaw still trembling, she stammered through what he wanted to say. "I-I don't want to resort to violence like this!"

Ryuji blanched, eyes fluttering as his brain did a backflip. "What!? After seein all that, you don't think he has it coming!?"

Faltering, but refusing to back down, Shiho stepped forward, both hands clenched in front of her heart. "I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to be punished!" Her breath shuttered, legs refusing not to shake beneath her. "But... I'm not comfortable being like him to make that happen!"

The blond grit his teeth. "Oh you've gotta be-!"

Akira thrust his arm between them. "No, it's fine." Finally breathing easy, Shiho felt some of the tension leave her body. "She has every right to make that choice. This isn't something most people would want to resort to right away, Ryuji."

Fuming, crossing his arms and growling, the delinquent put his mask back on. "yeah, well..." she sensed reasons behind his readiness to resort to violence, strong reasons. However, that wasn't her main concern. "After the beating that... thing Kamoshida turns into here gave you, I ain't sure the two of us are gonna be enough to beat him."

With a frown, Akira sighed. "Then... will you help us another way, Suzui?"

...

Pondering what Akira had said had left her... drained. What he and Ryuji had suggested put a weight on her, making her drag her footsteps as they'd left the distorted version of the school and returned to the real world. There she lay in bed, eyes staring at her phone, forearm draped across her forehead. Phone held in her other hand, she stared at the boys's contact info, their conversation carrying on without her.

It was mostly just Ryuji, Akira didn't seem like the most talkative guy; unless he had to be.

Apparently their plan, as it was, was to go around asking the injured students if they'd come forward. Asking the victims to testify against their abuser... nine times out of ten it didn't happen. Stepping forward and speaking out against Kamoshida? At the very least, you'd be off the team if not subjected to further, especially rigorous 'coaching'. Of course, they'd asked for her help too... not that Ryuji seemed to think she'd pull through.

A hand clenched, knees pressing more tightly together. What did those two think they were going to accomplish? In all likelihood, they'd just get themselves into trouble. Considering their statuses as 'the delinquent' and 'the criminal' Shiho didn't have to guess what that would spell for them.

Should she... really have just let them go through with it?

Sighing, tucking her phone away, Shiho pushes her palms against her eyes. It was by pure random chance that she got mixed up in this, leaving the school at the exact wrong moment. Of course, she had the option of just walking past them, going on her merry way but... curiosity had gotten the better of her. Then it got the better of her again, once she's calmed down enough to think straight.

Seeing Ryuji shoot himself like that... she thought she might've been going insane. From the rumors -and Ann's lack of surprise to them- she gathered Ryuji was impulsive, rash, but not to that extreme degree! Maybe it was just the heightened emotions, seeing what Kamoshida was like when all the cars were in his hands. When he was the one in control.

If Akira had approached, had offered her the gun first, she suspected that maybe she would have done the same. Not that such things were ever all that far from her mind, depression being the venomous thing that it is. Getting out of bed was occasionally the most difficult part of the day. To go from being so warm, safe and comfortable and out into the cold, uncaring world... she almost thought staying here forever might be worth it.

Deciding she could at least indulge her love of her little nest for tonight, she closed her eyes to sleep.

* * *

**Wednesday, April 13th, 2016 **

News on the train ride to school to school that day took a turn for the surreal. It was only a blurb and a photograph, but it was enough to get the gears of her mind spinning. A picture of a boy her age, wearing a tan suit with shaggy, light-brown hair and reddish brown eyes showed his face covered in wounds. Bruises, cuts, skin swollen at the corner of his right eye. Apparently, late last night, someone had payed a visit to his home and had made an attempt on his life.

'High-School detective Goro Akechi attacked! Barely survives a murderer's wrath!'

When questioned about why, the youthful detective smirked. "I've been investigating something I can't disclose as of yet, this is just proof I've hit close to the mark. Soon, when the case is done, I'll tell you everything."

"Does this have anything to do with the recent accidents? The incidents involving 'psychotic breakdowns'?"

Under the reporter's questioning, Akechi seemed to squirm. "You mean the all the public transportation disasters..." his smile vanished, something grim on his face, light and fiery determination flickering behind his eyes. "I'm certain law enforcement will pull through. The accidents that have claimed the lives of so many innocents cannot be allowed to go unpunished like this, and they will not."

It wasn't a confirmation, but it wasn't a denial either. In fact, if Shiho was reading his eyes right, it was more of a challenge to the one responsible. 'Come get me', his eyes seemed to say.

...Was that what had happened? Had the perpetrator behind those crimes already tried to kill him once?

Such musings only served to make the beginning of the day drift along, uneventfully. Quietly, she slid into her gym clothes, making sure her hair was tied back into a pony tail. It was time for the volley ball rally...

When it began, Shiho was put on the sidelines, watching with a tense clenching in her belly. Queasiness that was met with Kamoshida all but spearing the ball into Mishima's shoulder. The same one he always aimed for... As she flinched, the whistle was blown and another teacher high-fived Kamoshida, laughing as he did. "Nice! You've still got it coach!"

They were actually celebrating hurting a student... "Thanks." Kamoshida grinned, clenching a determined fist. "Let's go for one more!"

Just as quickly as the break had started, it ended and the game began anew. Shiho's entire body was tense now, the players resuming their positions. Too busy watching, waiting for something to happen to hear what Ryuji and Akira were saying to each other. As one student passed the ball back over the net, Mishima seemed to grow discouraged.

The already dying embers of his frail resolve seemed to extinguish completely, eyes at the floor. He was backing away, probably preparing to turn and leave. Something Kamoshida's predatory eyes homed in on, and his smile flickered with something sinister.

_No._

As the ball was sent back over the net, Kamoshida launched into the air like a rocket. Shiho had to bite back a scream. As he jumped, his hand moved in a blur and hit the ball with a thunderous clap. For a moment, she saw the other him: the distortion. A beast with blood red skin, claws like dagger blades, a towering behemoth with jet-black horns holding a halo of flame between them. Muscles bulged, a long, prehensile tail swishing mischievously behind him along with a pair of bat-like wings.

If her western mythology was on point, the other Kamoshida was... an extremely powerful incubus.

So caught up in the wavering, blending of worlds, she almost failed to see when the ball crashed into Mishima's face. He was limp, like a boned fish, before he even hit the floor.

Cheering evaporated, murmurs of worry spreading through the crowd instead. Her eyes drifted back to her coach's face, seeing him glaring with extreme displeasure at the now unconscious boy. Just another moment, letting the real him show, he scowled at the boy's perceived weakness. Then, stepping under the net, his face went soft and he almost sounded concerned.

"Sorry!" Kamoshida ran to his ward's side, a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, are you alright!?" Obviously Mishima wasn't able to reply, the coach's feigned worry making Shiho sick. "Someone," he said, turning to the crowd, "take him to the nurse's office!"

As Kamoshida pulled the inert Mishima up by his arm, Shiho heard the poor boy grunt in pain.

_Stop hurting him!_

She'd tensed, almost jumping up to run to his aid when a boy -far closer than she- bent down and scooped him up. This time, she heard it when Ryuji growled under his breath. "He'll pay soon enough..." Then threw the ball back into the court.

Then, like nothing happened, Kamoshida turned and smiled. "Alright, let's resume the match!" and ran back onto the court.

_...I'm gonna throw up._

Standing up, Shiho walked to the locker room and changed back into her uniform with shaking limbs. Stuffing her gym clothes into her locker, clawing back into her uniform her stomach refused to stop twisting about. Back in the gym, the others were carrying on, already forgetting about Mishima. Rather than head back to her seat, Shiho decided to head to her classroom.

She sat down, falling into her seat like a stone, and pulled her textbook from her bag... everything she read and listened to that day wouldn't stick around long enough to be digested by her brain.

...

Classes had only ended maybe fifteen minutes ago. The school courtyard still had a few of the volley ball team meandering about, mostly just making small talk. Perhaps that was more shocking than anything she'd seen in the distorted world, if only because they all seemed so unaware of it all. Now that it was so prevalent in her own mind, seeing the others ignorant or acting so to what she'd seen? It made her feel uneasy, cold and alone.

At present, she was sitting in the courtyard, by the vending machines, on a bench. Staring at her phone, she saw that Ryuji and Akira had been busy trying to gather up dirt on Kamoshida. Just like they'd planned, they asked every injured member of the team to stand up and speak. Just like she'd predicted, no one would.

Pointless... everyone already knew. How could they not, when the evidence was so brazenly on display? Injured students, their wills just as battered, made up the entire roster of the team. Acts of physical punishment enacted in front of the entire school, other teachers praising him for his brutality.

_**Rru: why is no one comin forward!?** _

Shiho hesitated, then -slowly- began to type.

**_Shi: because they think it benefits everyone more not to._ **

She felt sick all over again, barbed wire tangling up inside her. Ryuji seemed to feel similarly.

**_Ryu: Don't give me that crap! How could they possibly think that!?_ **

**_Ren: ...she has a point._ **

**_Ryu: WHAT!?_ **

**_Shi: because of Kamoshida, the school gets national attention, money for our team being so prestigious. Then... there's all the sports scholarships._ **

**_Ryu: You've gotta be kidding me!_ **

**_Ren: Think about it._ **

**_Shi: If there wasn't some benefit to this being the way things were, then why would it even be happening when everything's so obvious?_ **

**_Ryu: ...god dammit..._ **

Lowering her phone, Shiho planted her face in her hands. Powerless... that was the only name for this feeling. It was enough to make her want to cry, but her body just wouldn't let her.

_So tired..._

A palm on her shoulder had her jumping, face jerking up to see Ann, smiling warmly. "Hey there, why so jumpy?"

Relaxing, even smiling a little, Shiho replied. "Oh... it's nothing."

_It's always nothing._

Nodding, smile fading a bit, Ann went to sit beside her. "I thought you were crying for a second there, before I came over." Shiho went to stare at the ground, her own smile disappearing now. "Glad you weren't but... that posture had me worried. You must be really stressed out..."

At times, Ann's stubbornness wasn't a blessing. Exhaling some of her aforementioned stress, Shiho considered her next words carefully. "I-I haven't been sleeping well lately..." Her hands were in her lap, leaning forward, hunched and staring at the floor. "Whenever I close my eyes, I keep thinking about too many things..."

Kamoshida and his barbarous treatment of the volleyball team, memories of her father. Memories of her old friend, his wheelchair hanging off the side of the bridge...

Ann's voice, gentle as it was, landed on top of it all like a piece of sledge. "Shiho..."

Her concern, worrying over her when Kamoshida... it was too much, and Shiho _had_ to change the subject. "Nationals are coming up soon, so I keep thinking..." she reached up tucking a section of her hair behind one ear. "Should someone like me really be on the starting lineup...?"

It was almost impressive how quickly Ann's demeanor changed, smiling and cheerful, trying to make her feel better. "Don't worry. Just be confident in yourself!" She held up one arm, mocking at flexing and patted the muscle beneath her sleeve. "Your skills have been recognized, it's all because you work harder than anyone else!"

Obvious though it was, Ann's attempt to cheer her up, it still worked. It just... didn't reach as far as anyone would have liked, and Shiho could only sit in silence. She wanted to feel better, to make sure her friend's effort didn't go to waste, but... if she could change her mood by wanting to badly enough, she wouldn't need antidepressants.

"Yeah... volley ball's all I have, after all..." The closest she'd ever get to flying. To living that dream...

Or was that even true any more?

Ann, unaware of what she was pondering, breached another topic. "More importantly than that, is your leg okay? It looked really swollen."

She just wished the blond hadn't brought _that_ up...

Shaking her head, Shiho quietly replied. "No, it's nothing." _I̷̦̬̺̦̳̺͓͗̿͆́̅̌̊̑̓͂̓̀͜͝͝t̶̥̹̼̝̻̞͛̏'̷̧̧͎͎͈͉͚͔̭̥̮̄̑͒̑͛̐͛̄̍͂͝s̷̢̢̩̮̬̦̺̜͉͕͙̾̎̇́͒́̽͐̈́͌͊̀͆̕̕͠͝ ̷̨̼̩̽̊̈́a̴̧̨͇͙̪̫̱̽̄̽̌̅l̶̖̙̼͕̬̫̼̦̺̘͆͂̈̓͐͂̚͜͜ͅw̴̡̙͈͙̘̹̣̝̯͉̗̤̫̜̬͆͐́͂̓̑͜ä̸̙͇̺͔̲́̔͑͘͘y̸̛̭̰̜͍̤̣̗̤̺̥͚̒̈́̄͊̓̑̀̎͛̔͂̎̉̉ṡ̶̬͔͑̐͑͜ ̷̢̢̗̠̺̭̩̰̹͈͇̙̝͋̄̽̔̏̔͊͂͘͠͝ņ̸̤͖͓̺̹͍̲͕̈́̂̀̒̽̄̿̏̀͊̾̓͜ǫ̶͇̟̗̪͔͓̤̥̭̦̪̼͍͔͑̎̄͜ͅt̵͖̗̙͇̿͂̾̀̾̾̈̂̐̂̿̀̔̽̃͝ḩ̸̼̯͓̤̖̫͍͍͉͕͚͙̦̳͊́̓̆̇̍͜͜i̷̹̤̤͖͍͚̟̳̤̮̜̫͚̕n̵̛̼͈̣͚͍͕͚̻̼̦͔͗͋̿͛̃́ͅg̴̜̯͍̿͂́͘͜.̴̨̧͉̭̱̯̭̣̹̂͆͑̚͝͝.̵̢̛̩̗̞̩̩̃̍̉̆̎̈́̐̂̎̈́.̸̢̛̮̲̘̤̬̉͐̽̿̆͘͠ͅ._ "It's normal... Especially since a meet's coming up."

Ann... didn't seem to know how to respond to that.

Mercifully, not that it had been intended as such, someone came to interrupt their conversation. "Sorry to interrupt, Suzui." It was Mishima, looking very guilty and timid. "Um... Mr. Kamoshida told me to get you."

Her heart skipped, hitting hard against her ribs as her eyes bulged. "Huh?" She felt a cold sweat coming on. "Wh-what does he want?" Did- did he know? Had he somehow found out about-? No, no that was impossible. No one had seen them while they were there, in the distorted world.

...Had they?

Mishima cast his gaze away, unable to look her in the eyes any longer. "He didn't say..."

But of course he knew. There was only so much he could have wanted from her... she knew full well. "Ann, I..."

She didn't know what to say at first, pausing with pensively afraid. Then she said, "It'll be fine! I bet it's just a meetup about the starting lineup or something."

Nothing in her voice, shaky and uncertain, was very convincing. Yet, Shiho tried to be convinced anyways. "...yeah." Funny, the things someone will do to feel safer, even if it means lying to themselves. An effort that didn't last long enough to mask the fear, twisting her up inside, as she stood. "Well, I better go..."

Ann just smiled, brightly. "Yup! Good luck!" As she walked away, leaving Ann behind, she almost thought she heard her friend speak again. "Hang in there, Shiho..."

All the well wishes in the world couldn't possibly help. A bit like serving like cake during some town or city leveling disaster, it was sweet but little else. Shiho couldn't hold Ann's hesitance to offer much else against her. Focusing on these thoughts, not she thought they would, didn't make the march to Kamoshida's office feel anything less like a walk to the gallows.

Or to a beheading, the electric chair, whatever form of execution was worse.

As much as she wanted to just turn tail and run, she didn't and just reached up and knocked on the door. It swung open, Kamoshida looming over her with his arm above his head, elbow resting at the side of the doorframe. "Hello, Miss Suzui."

She gulped. "H-hello..."

That look on his face, that... sultry, powerful look had her ready to bolt. "I've been worried about that leg of yours..." his arm swayed back to his side, that sickening smile plastered there all the while. "I want to see if it's alright."

Her eyes bulged, immediately recoiling from him. "Ah, n-no! It's fine! I-"

His smile took on a darker, malicious edge. "Relax, just follow me." He nodded to Mishima. "Come on you, two. To the gym."

The two students exchanged worried glances, then a nod. As they followed along, Mishima kept a hand in his pocket, fingers clasping his phone. If anything took a turn for the worse, the police would be called.

"Here we are." Kamoshida said, offhandedly as he kicked a volley ball into the air and then caught it. "Now," he turned over his shoulder and grinned, "lets put that leg to the test."

The real him flickered with the distortion, the incubus leering deviously at her. In place of a volley ball, he was holding a javeline, his intent clear as day. When she looked toward Mishima, he didn't seem any worse for wear. He hadn't seen...

_I can only see it because I went to the castle, can't I?_

Kamoshida tossed her ball, slamming it into her belly, but she caught it. "Come on." He goaded, grinning all the while. "Show me what you're still capable of."

Gulping, shaking, she served the ball and prepared for the worst. Unfortunately... all the preparation in the world couldn't possibly have been enough. Her first serve, Kamoshida jumped into the air, his arm swinging in a blur and then-

...

...

...

.

_It was dark outside that night, as we just strolled along, waiting for the sunrise. It had rained the previous night, making the streetlights reflect off the ground in a way that almost pretty. Surrounded by white light, from the lamps and stars above._

_"So... you want to be a hero someday?" He smiled, his wheelchair rolling along beside me. "A hero who can fly."_

_Even at his playful tone, I managed a shy, little smile. "Yeah, but I'm not sure what that's really going to be yet." I kicked a loose stone, watching it splash along the street._

_With a shrug, he turned a thoughtful eye to the stars. "Hmm... not many things at all that would let you do that. Maybe an emergency services helicopter pilot?"_

_My turn to shrug. "Maybe... I'll write that down when I get home." He smiled again and we kept walking along in silence, for a little while. "What do you wanna be?"_

_He hummed, ponderously, a hand on his chin. "Well... I'm not sure. something involving puzzle or problem solving. I love a good challenge." he patted his stomach. "So long as it pays the bills enough to go to the diner every night."_

_I laughed, almost unable to stop. "You sure love that place..."_

_He shrugged, still smiling bright. "Tease all you like, I'll feel no shame whatsoever."_

_Giggling, my laughing fit eking out some further mirth, I sighed, hands to my pockets. "...Middle school starts soon."_

_"Then we'll have to get serious about our answers." Sounding sage that time._

_I shake my head. "Weird that they expect us to figure out so early."_

_He shrugged again. "Just our culture. High expectations, unhealthy amounts of sexism and discipline to the extreme."_

_Now, I was chuckling nervously. "Yeah... encouraging."_

_Sheepishly, he smiled. "Sorry... I forget your sense of humor isn't like mine."_

_Now I'm shrugging again, spinning on my heels and kicking up water in a spiral of shimmering light. "It's okay. Others will probably be worse."_

_We wander along for a little longer, gazing ahead and taking in the beautiful light around us. Comfortable silence, free of the messy house and breathing free and clear. A smile perches on my lips, as I breathe deeply. Now and then, I look to see his face and feel a fluttering in my chest._

_I remember wanting to reach out, to hold his hand and... well, I'm sure the rest is obvious. Only I didn't have the guts to make that move, so I lowered my unconsciously raised hand and let out a little breath._

_Then, he points to a hill. "Up there." He says. "That's the best spot to watch the sunrise."_

_Looking to the horizon, I think I see the light just starting to peek up. "We should hurry then, I'm not sure I'll push you up there in time to see it."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_._

Blinding pain, her eye doesn't want to open. Kamoshida's voice echoes throughout the gymnasium, she feels someone looming close by rather than sees them.

"M-Mishima?" She winces at the light, the sound of her own voice.

"It's me." He says, softly. "Are you okay?"

Nodding, she forces her eyes open, and seeing little more than light at first. "I'm breathing..."

A dark chuckle gives away their coach's position, pacing lazily back and forth as he talks into his phone. "Oh? So you wont come over then?" Kamoshida snickers. "Such a shame... I had such high hopes, but without some persuasion I'm afraid I just don't see why I should let her keep her spot on the starting lineup."

_...What?_

The feeling clawing at her heart, as she spun slowly around to look at Kamoshida, had no name. Anger, fear, disbelief, disgust, revulsion, contempt. All of them at once, to such an extreme it set her on fire.

"Good night, Takamaki." He hung up, stretching lazily. "You two are still here." He smiled sweetly, shooing them toward the door. "You can go. Thanks for indulging me... Suzui."

Gulping back her tangled mess of emotions, she nodded. "...Sure."

Laughing to himself, Kamoshida stepped out of the room, leaving them collect themselves. Mishima offered her a hand up. "Can you stand?"

A hand she did not accept, choosing instead to stand on her own. "yeah..." her voice was small, barely perceptible, she was wobbly and slow to find her center of balance. "I'm fine."

Unable to look her in the eyes, he just nodded. "...be safe going home." he wanted to say that he was sorry for dragging her into this, but didn't have the nerve. Words would only be useless now, wouldn't they?

All the same, she forgave him as much as she could bear to. "You too." Then she walked away.

She didn't want to be crowded into the trains, didn't want to be touched, so she walked all the way. She spent the majority of the trip trying to get a hold of Ann, but she didn't answer. Not until she was almost home, and she had to scramble for her phone when it started ringing.

"Shiho?"

Exhaling in immediate relief, Shiho couldn't help but smile. "Hey, uh..." she suddenly felt a little awkward. "is everything okay?"

"Yeah!" Ann's voice chirped, "why wouldn't it be?"

She gulped, having to force herself to say what she said next. "I... heard the last part of your conversation with Kamoshida..." there's a long pause. "I was in the room with him when he called you..."

"That manipulative-" Ann clears her throat, "Shiho... that's not your problem, okay? It's nothing you did."

_Lies..._

"I'll handle it on my own, Shiho. So don't worry about me, okay?"

Her fingers grip into her palm, fingernails digging in deep. "I- ...okay."

Ann makes a happy noise. "See you at school?"

"See you there..." When they hang up, it's like all the life just bleeds from her body.

_Not my fault... if I hadn't joined the stupid team, he wouldn't have anything to manipulate you with in the first place._

Once she got home, her mother was already asleep so she went straight to the shower. By the time she got out, she was too tired to eat and just collapsed into bed wearing her robe.

That's when her phone went off, and she groaned as she fished through her things to check it. Just a text, sent from one of her friends.

**_Ren: Are you alright?_ **

**_Shi: Yes._ **

She wanted him to just leave it at that, but of course he didn't.

**_Ren: your friend Takamaki is very worried about you._ **

It took every fiber of her self control not to cry.

**_Shi: Even with everything Kamoshida's putting her through?_ **

**_Ren: So you know..._ **

**_Shi: yeah..._ **

**_Ren: I'm sorry._ **

**_Shi: No, it's not your fault._ **

**_Ren: It's not yours either._ **

Bitterly, she laughed.

**_Shi: not gonna try to guilt me into 'freeing' whatever it is inside me with this?_ **

**_Ren: You have more than enough people trying to manipulate you._ **

Tears fell from her eyes and she had to choke back a sob.

**_Shi: thank you, Akira._ **

**_Ren: Don't thank me. I couldn't convince one person to step forward, I've done nothing._ **

**_Shi: you've tried. That's more than most._ **

**_Ren: and it's not enough._ **

**_Shi: is it ever?_ **

**_Ren: ...No. I suppose not._ **

She sniffled, wiping off her face and curling up in her blankets.

**_Shi: Sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh._ **

**_Ren: You didn't at all._ **

**_Shi: ...are you okay?_ **

**_Ren: Me?_ **

**_Shi: yeah. We considered some heavy things, in that... place. It can't be easy, having to think about that._ **

**_Ren: I'm used to it._ **

**_Shi: So, you've done this kind of thing before?_ **

**_Ren: Several times, but it's late. You should sleep._ **

**_Shi: What about you?_ **

**_Ren: Plotting something with... a friend._ **

**_Shi: Is he like you?_ **

**_Ren: Morgana is... unique._ **

**_Shi: What's the plan so far?_ **

**_Ren: No one's willing to talk. So we'll get evidence. Video, audio, whatever we can._ **

**_Shi: yeah, it'd be hard not to listen to us with something like that in our hands. Someone would have to do something then, right?_ **

**_Ren: Exactly. Now... get some sleep, okay?_ **

**_Shi: You too, Akira._ **

Finally setting her phone aside, making a mental note to call Ann in the morning, she closed her eyes. Dreamless as her sleep would be, it was a much needed respite from the harshness of the world.

All the same... she forgot to take her medicine.

* * *

Tossing his phone aside, Ren dragged a tired hand down his face. Fingers stretched the skin under his eyes, making the bags beneath look exceedingly purple. It was hard to read her tone through the text, but he hazarded a guess that she wasn't doing as well as she'd said. Quietly, propped against his wall and sitting on his bed he pondered the day behind him.

On his way home, he'd run into Takamaki. From what she'd said, Kamoshida was trying to use Suzui's place on the lineup to coerce her into... letting him have her.

_Far to gentle a phrase..._

Ren's fingers clenched into fists and he grit his teeth. Not the kind of thing he expected to be up late thinking about, when he'd first started high-school. So this was the kind of nightmare women lived in fear of, if not worse?

_Yet here I am... hesitating to kill him._

"Hey," Ren looked up seeing his cat perched on his chair, "earth to Ren, what're your thoughts?" For such a little cat, his personality practically filled the room.

He sighed, "Sorry, Morgana... I spaced out."

The cat rolled his eyes. "Ugh... I was asking if you could spare the cash to maybe put a camera and Microphone on me, since you're still determined to go this route."

"Murder is the last resort, not option one."

Morgana curled up into a ball, closing his eyes. "Doesn't answer my question."

Ren's turn to roll his eyes. "Sure. We'll grab one tomorrow."

Then there was a knock at his door, shortly before someone peered into his room. Rubbing at the eyes behind her glasses, she groaned. "Why are you two being so loud?"

Ren smirked. "Because Morgana is always loud."

Shaking her head and sighing, the redhead went to trudge away. "Just don't let him wake up Sojiro... he needs his sleep."

"Sorry, sis."

His 'sister' stuck out her tongue, blowing a raspberry at him. The two of them stared at each other blankly, then both started laughing. "Love ya, bro."

"Love you too, Futaba. Goodnight." She closed his door almost noiselessly, padding down the hall in her slippers and falling back into her own bed.

Morgana opened one eye, quirking an 'eyebrow' at the now closed door. "Do you think she understands what I say too?"

Reaching up and switching off the light, Ren shrugged as he tucked himself in. "You could ask her."

Jumping to the floor, Morgana was soon curled up on his chest. "I did."

"And?"

Morgana groaned. "...She ignored me."

Ren chuckled. "Well, no surprise there."

"Hmph!" Morgana went to leave, to sleep on the chair again, but Ren reached up and started stroking his spine. The purring was accompanied by the particularly amusing sound one makes when their brain is forcibly reset. "That's cheating..." The cat groaned.

"Yup."

All the same, he kept right on scratching the cat and the cat kept purring. Eventually, he settled back down, curled up on the human's chest. Closing his eyes, he whispered to him. "Goodnight, Ren..."

"Night, Morgana..."

Although he looked peaceful, the dark haired human had resolved to find a way to put that bastard Kamoshida in his place. Even as he trailed off into slumber, his mind was busy working up ways to make the man pay for his crimes. Maybe Ryuji was having an effect on him... not impossible, he supposed.

In any case, he only hoped Kamoshida could be stopped before all of this went too horribly far.

* * *

**Thursday, April 14th, 2016 **

Bed... warmth... pain in her head. Everything was so heavy...

One of the worst days of her life in recent years had only just gone by, yesterday. Now she had to go back to place it happened, likely to experience worse than even that all over again. How many more days like this were ahead of her? For Ann? The other girls? For Mishima? When they graduated, scholarships in hand or not, how bad would next years students have it?

...

_I have to get up..._

She didn't want to get up.

_I have to go to school..._

She wanted to leave and never look back.

_Volley ball practice..._

...

_I think this is hell. No matter what I do, I can't make everyone happy..._

Unwittingly, she'd placed herself into the worst possible place she could. As things were right now, she was leverage against Ann. A tool for Kamoshida to use to make her friend do as he pleased. As long as he had Shiho's dream, to dangle in front of her on a string, he could hurt her, threaten her. If it turned out that he couldn't get what he wanted from one of them, he could always just try with the other. Or whichever girl he targeted next...

_Video evidence..._

Her hand clenched, right along with her teeth. Drawing in a deep breath, she considered all of her options. Ultimately, there weren't very many to choose from.

_No. I can't do nothing. I got myself and Ann into this. Her being in this scenario... it's my fault. It's my fault I'm involved, she shouldn't have to even consider yielding to him for my sake. It's my fault..._

Moving her arm felt like pushing a mountain, her blankets might as well have been an entire island. Limbs moving like they'd been only freshly been thawed after a thousand years of being stuck in ice. Her clothes were iron, strength nothing, but she pulled her uniform over her body. Her feet carried her out the door on auto-pilot.

Her purse was over her shoulder, phone tucked inside. Eventually, on an empty and growling stomach, she reaches the school. Not bothering to go to practice, she slumps into her seat and waits for class to start. Ms. Kawakami arrives ahead of everyone else, noticing her in her corner. It's plain to see how miserable she is, and she has to say something.

Kawakami's hands are on the side of her desk, and she kneels in front of her. "Suzui... what's wrong?"

"It's nothing..."

.

_I̷̦̬̺̦̳̺͓͗̿͆́̅̌̊̑̓͂̓̀͜͝͝t̶̥̹̼̝̻̞͛̏'̷̧̧͎͎͈͉͚͔̭̥̮̄̑͒̑͛̐͛̄̍͂͝s̷̢̢̩̮̬̦̺̜͉͕͙̾̎̇́͒́̽͐̈́͌͊̀͆̕̕͠͝ ̷̨̼̩̽̊̈́a̴̧̨͇͙̪̫̱̽̄̽̌̅l̶̖̙̼͕̬̫̼̦̺̘͆͂̈̓͐͂̚͜͜ͅw̴̡̙͈͙̘̹̣̝̯͉̗̤̫̜̬͆͐́͂̓̑͜ä̸̙͇̺͔̲́̔͑͘͘y̸̛̭̰̜͍̤̣̗̤̺̥͚̒̈́̄͊̓̑̀̎͛̔͂̎̉̉ṡ̶̬͔͑̐͑͜ ̷̢̢̗̠̺̭̩̰̹͈͇̙̝͋̄̽̔̏̔͊͂͘͠͝ņ̸̤͖͓̺̹͍̲͕̈́̂̀̒̽̄̿̏̀͊̾̓͜ǫ̶͇̟̗̪͔͓̤̥̭̦̪̼͍͔͑̎̄͜ͅt̵͖̗̙͇̿͂̾̀̾̾̈̂̐̂̿̀̔̽̃͝ḩ̸̼̯͓̤̖̫͍͍͉͕͚͙̦̳͊́̓̆̇̍͜͜i̷̹̤̤͖͍͚̟̳̤̮̜̫͚̕n̵̛̼͈̣͚͍͕͚̻̼̦͔͗͋̿͛̃́ͅg̴̜̯͍̿͂́͘͜.̴̨̧͉̭̱̯̭̣̹̂͆͑̚͝͝.̵̢̛̩̗̞̩̩̃̍̉̆̎̈́̐̂̎̈́.̸̢̛̮̲̘̤̬̉͐̽̿̆͘͠ͅ._

.

The teacher doesn't buy this for one second, her worried eyes searching Shiho's bruised face. "Does it have something to do with those bruises?"

.

_Y̶̨̨̥͎̭̼̝͌̍͊̆̀͜ǫ̴̣͉͚͔̲̣͗̀͐̐̆̈́̿͂̕ũ̴̘̲̘̟̋ͅ ̷̫̩͍͍̣̰̤̬͚̉́̏̒͐͝k̸̫͉͍̞̭̩̱̳̃̆̂̈́̚͝n̶̯͓̠̳̹͇͓̪̼̜̬̽̈́̈́̉͋̈̑͊̉̉ó̶̧͚̘̺͓͂͑̎̓͆̋̾͠w̸̩͎̺̚ ̶̲͍̣͇͔̦̠̝̬̔̆̇̀̉͑s̵̡͕̬̖̗̲̗̼̼͔̑̄͆̈́̍͂̓͠͝ḩ̶̛̮̘͕̹̥̜̼̱̇̂͂͆̽̊̃͘͘͠ȅ̷͔̩͙͍̹̼̩͙̠͛͆̀̄͜ͅ ̸̨̡̺̟͖̝̹͎̠̯̂̑̍̃̉͊͋̀́̾͝ć̸̲a̷̼̩̟̗̫̬̹͖̖̟͂̅͆̆͗̓͜n̵̫̩͆̽͌̍͝ń̸̢̲͉̖̦̳͕͔́̆̐̾̃͗̋̑̚͜ǫ̶̠̞̥͈̙̱̭͇͒̈̈ͅt̶̢͈̪̗̱̦̘͊͆́͂ ̶̛̮̪̞̯̪̜̗̥͓̗̣̆̊͗́̌͝͠ḣ̷̥̹̮̥̠̬̝̰̺̗̉͑́̓͋̋͆̈̏̈è̶̢̡̠̱̬͔̣͔͔͌̑̇̓̚l̷̢̡̜̬̝̱̺͚̯͖͕͂̈́̽̚͝p̸̛̠̤͙̞̠̪̃̅̈́̉̂̇̓͆͝ ̶͔͕̠̭͕̰̙̪̺̣̀̄̈́̅̈́̽̓͘ý̸͍̝̟͇̭̯̼̣͍̼o̶̼̦͓̲̦̖̤͓͎̒͊u̸͖̮̓̓̎̈́͌.̵̫͕͖̻́͗̉̈́.̴͍͍̙͊͊̒̀̈́̾̀.̵͇̫̱̝̾͊͊̎̍͘_

.

"It's really nothing..." She looks away, just wanting this conversation to be over. Mercifully, perhaps, her teacher complies and leaves her be.

.

B̸̨̜̙̮͌͊͋͐̄̓͆͘͠ų̴̨̢̡̛͔͙̻̭͓̠̹̮̲̯̫͖̫͉͕̗̯̜͍̘͔̻̰̠̣̝̭̖̮̘͕͓̣̫͎̭͗͗̈̑͆̒̉̌͗̀͋̿̃͌̓͐͐̓̔͘͜͜͠͝ͅͅt̷̛͔̯̥͙͔͍͓̦̦̺̐̆͠͠ ̵̹̟̦̀̔͂̋͋̓̈́̓͛̑͌͌̈́̏͌́̀̃̆̔́̿̑̔̇͊́̉͛̈̑̑̑̈̄̏͛̎̎̕̕̕͝͠͝͠y̶̨̢̨̧̧̛̟͍̳̙͉͙̩̮̘͖͓̜̳͖̹̟̜̣̖̪̞̯̮͙̪͕̲̌͆̌̿̎̇͗͛̌́̇̎̀̓̌͒̽́̑́̂͗͑̾̌͆̑̔͗͗͆͊̍̆̿̇̆̀̿̍́̕͝͝ͅǫ̵̧̧͖͉͎̹̖͚̙̙̝̥͕͓͖̮͉͓͎̳̫̝̝̪̹̫̩̞͔̝̪̭̺̪͙͎̬̜͍͇̜̜͙͔̱̥̹̋̆̿̇͌͋̌͋͑͐̉̈́̂̎̏̓̌́̓̀̓͐̿͗̅̀̎̽̏͋́̐͗͗̈́́̌̍́͆̄̚̕͜͠͝͝͠͝͝u̵̩̜̝̲̲̩͗̍̈́̓́̂̅̊̄̈́̍̑̓̆͗̄̂̕͜͝͝ ̵̧̡̭͚̯̤̮͓̮̹̣̙͓̠͖̗̻̻̔̈̈́̀͒̂͒͊̎͗͋͛̐̐̈͗̒͒̄̎̊̈́͋̓̕̕͝͝͠͝͝k̷̢̛̮͓̫͕̰̝͎̫̬̳̝͎͍̣͍̪̙̳͇̣͇̖̭̮͕̂̒̃̀̂̏̈́̉͗̓͋̍̐̅́͛́̃͑͐͛́̊̃̊̌̒̚͘̕̕͘̚̚͜͜͠ņ̴̧̨̛̩͈̗͓̲̖̫̗͚̳̣̺̲͓̗̭͕̭͉̙͛̇̃͆̓̇̏̃͆̔̇̔̿̂̃̓͒͑̉̉̓̄̿̂̆̕̚͝ͅȏ̷͇͔̗̈̓́͒͂͋̑̈́̽̅̀̋̚w̵̧̢̨̢̨̧̧̛̼̻̘̲̝̤͎̳̞̼̤̖̭̘̯͖̱̗̤̜̫͍̞̻̩̪̹̙̯̹̫̺̯͇̳̰͇̙̘̩̜̠̄̌̔͗̾̀͛͒̂̑̓͒̓̒͛̏͊̿̍͐̌̈͗̈́̓̽̀̿̆̓̕͜͝͠ͅͅ ̵̧̡̧̧͖̦͔̟̦͓̟̲͔̯̲͈͇̿̔̍̅͒̊́̃̂͑͂̈́̾̄̈́̒͆́͐̅̈̎̊̂̌̏̔̔̽̌̇̀̋̄͆͘̚̕̚͘͠͝͠I̵͖͉͋̃̅́̍̎̊̃̓̕͠ ̵̢̨̨̨̡̢̧̞̘̩̩̦͕̗̤͉̦̠͕̻͉̦̣̰̣̭̪͉̠̩̹̫̩̰̩͇̞͉̯͇̟̳̯̜̣̯͍̻̤͌͌̂͛̌͌͛̾̎͂͌̌̏̈͊̓̓͂̓̀̊̈́͘͝c̵̢̩͕̜̰̩̞̦͔͍͂̐͛̇͑͊͗̃͗̑̀̆̏̽͑͊̄͑͗̕͝a̶̡̢̛͙͚̬͚̩̜̘̝͙̘͈̰̖̦͔̦̝͉͓̭̼̬̺̰͊̋͂̎̓̎̔͂̐̈́͗͗̋̈́̔͌͛͌̅̈̑̓̋̅̑̊̀͌̉̏̄̅̓͌͆̂́̑̍̕̕͘͠͠ͅn̷̡̢̙̝͙̲͙̜̹͚̰͖̞͇̲̤͍̞͖̱͉̫̟͉̺̦̦̙̩͕̟̤̳̰̂̃͗͆̐̀̿̎̊̽̋̇̓͂͋͌́̈́̒̀̈́̌̆͋̀͋̂̏̐̈́̓̊̀͐̕͘̕͜͜͝͝͝͠.̵͕̬̣̼̲͓̦̣̥̻̖̹͍͖̜̞̦̹̫͇̙̪́́̾͆͛͜͝͝ͅ.̶̧̢̨̨̛̛̤̟͓̼̝͓͇̪̳͉̙͎͓͔͔̠͔̟̪͍̟̪̦̰̻͎̭̫̼̼̗̗̬̰̖̘̭̱͈͇̦̹̹̆͗̊̒̄̒̐͌̓̑́̀͒̐̉̈́̓̇͂̀̎̽̎͐̀̀͑̈́̎̐̍̐͊̓̕͘̕͜͜͜͠͠͠͠.̸̢̧̧̲͍̻̳̥̲̲̞̹̮̻̠̣̰̣̝̳̣̥̻̗͙͚͍̳̳̪̻̙̙̪̭̫̱͇̗̇̍͒̂͐̃̌̏̈́̃̎̇̀́͑͌͐̂̇̅͜͜͜͝͠

.

l̷̨̢̪̱̭̳̦̱̟̦̟̲̰͉̪̭̬̞͚̽̀̑̌̈̄͊̂̓́̑̏͐̾̌̇̕̚͘͜͠ͅȩ̸̧̛̘͎̪̪̲͎͍͎̹̻͎̰̟͉͎̯͐͛͐̈̊͛̆͆̅̇̈̈́͛͒̑́̓͘̚͜͝͠ͅt̵̖̟̣̠̼̺̆̿̀̋͊̿͜ ̵̬͓̿̎̐́͝m̴̢̡̢̨̦͕͍̲͈̳̙̹̤̭̮̂͑̋̕͜͝e̶̫̼̱̣͈̼̪̗̥̻̘̼̠̍͌̋ ̶̢̧̡̮̖̠̝̤͔͓̭͈̱͚͔͓̗̀̍͛̍̈́͐̆̅̅̈́̄̉̄͌̽̅͘ͅį̶̡̟̜͇̭̝̩̼̮̎͛̐́̑̉̿̍̽͗͝͝n̸͉̮̒.̵̪̙͎͎̹̮̯̦̤̽́̒͗͑̑́͗̒͒͋͆̂̅̔͌̃̽.̶̡̠̗͙͖͈̮̗̱̙̫͑̄̐͆̆̎̊͜͝͠.̵̢̹̟͚̑̒͐̑̈̀̓̉͗͊̎͋͛̒̚̚̚

I̸̧̬͈͉͐́̓͊̑͒̂͗̀̆̈́͗ ̵̡̨̪̮͎̫̠̼̮̝̩̜͇͒͂̀̐̈́̈́͋̔̔̅̀͊̌̔̏̆̂͠͝ç̷͓͎̜̞̫̱̼͔̫̦̝̼̰͕̂͌̑͗̂̐̍̔͆̑͋̕a̵̡̛͔̬̠̰̍̒͗̀̀͌̔̆͛̈̾̿͑̈́͒̑͘̚͘͠͝ń̸̢̛̮͕̣͖̝̀͌̀̇̿͗͑͗̄͛̃̄͝͠͝ ̴̛̜̬̟̀̆́͋̕͝h̷̨̧̨̩̥͕̞̠̬̬̖̪̞̭̳͉̭̣̲̟̼̿̈̔̎͆̉͜͝ͅe̷͕̲̞̤͑͛̔̆͆̓̀̀̾̅͂̅̽͌̉̄̌͐̽̚̕̚͝ļ̴̼̲̻̩̱͆́̆̍̀́̕͝͝p̴̧̛̛̠͓͈̩͕̭̖̭͇̪̪͔̪̭̰̮̳͙̤̰͖͂̄̿͂͊̐́̔͂̀̊͌͛͊̕͜ ̷̛̛̟̙̙́̂̄͂̉̾̆̕͠y̴͈͔̦̥̥̠͚̳̰͓̞͇̟̹͉̞̰̰̳̟͂ö̷̧̨̨͕̼̘̟̙̣͔̳̺͎̪̼̙̻́̆͑̐̌̐̎̽̿͂̄̆́̓͛̀͗̒͆̇͆͝ú̷̡̬͙͉̟͙̞͖̞̬̯̰̟̻̙̠̤͙̰͙͇̩̰̐̆̂̓͊̑̃̌͆͒́͂̊̒͐̌̕͝͝͝.̷̛͚͔̪̺̦̳̲̦̜̣̰̮͙̲̤̬̣̜̙̫̟͗̏̓̅̓̌̅.̵̨̻̲̬͉͉͚̗̽͐́̎̆̐̎͆̚̚̚͝.̵͓̳̯̹̗̦̝͓͇̰͂̓͆̂̏̈́̽͊̎͗̔̍̀͊̾̈́̈̿̚̕ͅ

.

_Who... are you?_

_._

_T̷͎͕͖͓͖̩̙̝̏̈́̏͠h̷̟̟̰́̂̓̅̃͋ȩ̷̰͓̤͎̖͓̯̻͙͒͛̋̐̐̒̇̑̎̚͘͜͠ ̶̻͎̗̝̄̔̂̓̉̅͑̉̃̏͋̐͘͝ơ̷̈́̈́̒̋̔̐̈́̈́̄͜ņ̶̥̟̪̦̘̗̻̈́̒͌͌̆̏̿̀̉͝͠͝ȇ̸̢̺͎̺̟̟̠̊͜͜ ̶͈̲̻̽͝w̸̲̲̤̝̟͖̹̟̞̙͖͈̳̱͑̐̀͋̄͒͂͊͆́͘h̵̡̘̝̠̣͔͙͚͖̘̲̓́̋͋̑͑͛o̸̢̦̽͆̚ ̶͈̖̩̻̤̀̄͋̽̍̔̿̽̉̈̚͝ẃ̷̧͇̤̘͈̰͍̯̖̫̲̬͂̐͆͐͑͒̽͋̚̕͘͠ͅi̵̢̡̝̞͎͑̒̆̎̒͊̕͜ļ̷̨̢̯̙̜̹͓̩̮̜̳̏͋̔͗̆̐̈́̾̀̅́͑̓̈́͜ḻ̶̡̣͓̼̖̖̘͆̏̏͂͐̓̀̿̕͜ ̶̻͎͎̖̼̦̎̀̚g̷͙̗̫̪̩͇̯͙̬͐͒͑̋̅̄͌͠ͅị̷̙̭̩̳̀̈́̀̓̚͝͝v̷̗̉̌̈̑͗̆̐̆̈́̑́͂̊͘e̴̛͈̝͉͉̯͍̤͖͓͓̱̦̎̆̔̆̔̕͝ ̶̨̱̤̗̞͇͓̑y̵̨̨̟̻͔̗̱̳͍͚͖͑̑̏͒̇̒̈́͂̚͜ȍ̷͓̺̠̞̈̊̍̽̿͂͠ư̶̙͔̤̳̣͔͙̻̭͇̦͋̿̅̂͌̃̈́͝͠͠ ̴̨̡̺̫̩͔̠̓̀͛̏̽̈́́͊͜͜͠͝y̷̢̲̬͖̮͚̥̌̈́͆̑̈̈́̇̊͘͜ŏ̸̡̡̯̻̙̺͙͍̥͉̘͕̯̒̌̂́͂̏̓̾̑̎͒͊͌͜u̴̢̦̜̔̓̆͑̎͆͊̿̈́̄̅͂̕͝ŗ̵̢͖̞̯̦̭̙̱̰̖̻̅̽̀́́̓̓̆̑̈́͐͠͝ ̶̥̫͌̌̿̊̏̐̾̑̑͛w̴̧̛̫̪͙̟̘̥͗̈̿͛͗̚ȉ̴̧̛͍̜̞̦͚̜̬͕̀̉͆̽̈́̎̓̕͝͠n̸̡̨̰̦̮̿̇̌̄̅̆̕̕ͅͅģ̵͚̥̯͎̩̳̝͔̱̙͔͙́̔̉̔͛̌̿̾̽̃͠s̷̢̨͕͙̼̝̯̭̟̟͖͙̠̐̈̍̊̊͒͘,̸̫̃͌́ ̸̻̹̥̪̟̠̞̅̿̅̆̀̊̍͝͠S̵̛̖̈̈́͌̋̉͂̈̒̉̌̇͠ḥ̶̪͎̣̣͖̙͉͓͖͔̥͍̈́͂̐̉̀̾̉̊́̚̕i̸̫͓̼̖̜͈̫̦͛̈́̑͋̊̇͑̎͘̕h̶̛̤̤͚͗̂͌̉̽̈̈́̄̔o̷̼̺̳̹̤̻͒͆̿͆̎̈́̿̈́̆͋͂̏͠.̷̨̳̹̞͚͕̪̳̤̆̎̄̒͒́̎͒̕̕.̷̘͖̰̓̐̕̚.̵̡̟̳̟̩̜̞͓̰̱̾̎̍̏͑͒̄̈́̑͘͜_

_._

_I... I can't understand you... what are you saying?_

_._

_Y̶̧̨̢̛̛͚̼͍̰̩̣̼̲̗̗͍̞͆̓̌̀̉̓̀̀͌́́͋̀̽̒͠͝ó̷̢̢͚̟̱͙̲̖͙͎͕̦͕͙̭̄͆̔́̐̇͂͘͝ų̶̢̮̜͔̖̥͕͔̫̻̤̜͙̘͐̆́̍̅̏̔̉̐̉̔̋̄̑̂̀́̈́̕ ̴̧̩̬͇͍̳͐̏̊̏͌̂͋̆͋̍̎͋͜͝w̵̢̡̧̡͍͇̬̣̞͚͓̞̠͍̠̞͎̎̈ȋ̴̡̢̧̞̻̣̩̱̰̟̲͓͖͍̝͖͕̹̿̀̆̇̾̇̑̕͘l̴̢͈̱̙͉̼͕̮̬̜̹̜̜̬̖͓͆̂͑͑̅̾̂̈́̋̌̕͝ͅͅl̴͓̈́̃͂̇͛̿̏.̸̡͈̩̮͈̖̱̘͚͍̻͎̯̝̟͛͋͗́͘͠.̵͚̳͕̺̝̘͚̜͌̋̓͛́͌̄̔̆̇̇̆͒͌̏͘͜ͅ.̵̨̢̢̣̣͕̱͈̠͖̣̦̝̯̗͕͍̭͗́̈́̇̓̀̊̈́́͑̂͝ͅ ̵͉̥̞̺̅͗̅͑͐̾͋̏̌͛͆̂̿̾̇͐̕̕S̶͇͎͉͔͔̜̖͔̗̮͍̦͎̠̞̽̍̐͋̑̓̆͆͝O̷͕̪̦͉̩͖̩̟̥͚̜̥̼̰͒̃͑̋͝͝O̶̧̺̫͉͓͆̓̆͋͝N̸̞̩̳̞̹͚̜̓̏̔͑͠.̸̠͚̾̽̔̊͊͑̉̃̈̿̚͘͘͠ͅ.̵̢̙͔̰̜̩̦͈̞̼̤̜̞̩̦̦͚̈͆͆͌͒̾̿̒̕̕̚͠͝.̵̧̱͓̥̟̗̗͎̜͚̰͈̭̲̼͎̎̓̇͝_

_._

_..._

Before she can even realize it, lunch has come and gone. Their last class rolls on by, then the bell rings.

_For a long time now... I've dreamed of being a hero who can fly._

She gets up on auto-pilot, walking to the courtyard to the vending machines. Some coins are inserted into one, she grabs a pair of smoothies and drinks them slowly. Savoring their cool, fruity flavors.

_An impossible dream, the closest thing to it is being on the volley ball team. Jumping, winning, falling... but it isn't at all what I wanted, not for the price I've payed._

_Not for the price Ann is paying too._

She's sitting on the bench for the longest time, just waiting. Practice is well and truly under way, but she doesn't bother getting up to go. It's not worth it, it was never worth it...

_I'm sorry, Ann... I'm sorry I dragged you into this..._

Speaking of the girl in question, she appears. When Shiho turns from the vending machines, Ann offers a hug which she readily accepts. Their arms fold around each other, Shiho's fingers cling to Ann's jacket and she feels... something, anything for the first time today. "I've been looking for you..."Ann murmurs, her tone quietly happy.

Shiho almost smiles. "I'm glad."

_I was hoping to get to see you..._

The two of them move to the bench, and Ann looks more than a little worried about the new injuries on her friend's face. For a time, they sit in silence, Shiho just breathing deeply.

Of course, Ann is the first to break it. "You've been really quiet all day, Ms. Kawakami was worried."

"I know..." She quickly changes the subject. "Did you have a good day at least?"

Ann puts on a brave face, smiling for her. "Hey, you don't have to worry about me, Shiho."

"..."

They sit in awkward silence, not quite sure what to say until Ann thinks of the obvious. "Hey, shouldn't you be heading to volley ball?"

Another sentiment that leaves her without any meaningful words to speak. "uh huh..."

"That bruise above your eye..." Shiho looks away, hiding her face, not wanting to talk about it. "Is that from practice too?"

It was better than telling her the truth. "Y-yeah..." If she had her way, Ann would never know just how far Kamoshida was really going with all of this.

Of course, Ann worries about her anyways. "Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?" It's the last thing she wants. Being the reason Ann is even in this mess, she wants as little pity or sympathy as is possible to get.

Especially from her. "I'm okay... volley ball's the only thing I can do right..."

_...why did I say that?_

_Is that even true? Is that... really how I feel?_

It was true. At this stage, her skills in the game were about the only thing she couldn't say were at fault here. Her reasoning, stubborn refusal to give it all up, all else was to blame, wasn't it? Her proficiency with the game was her only saving grace, the only excuse, only positive to come out of it.

Before Ann can answer her, ringing comes from her pocket. Someone was calling her phone. "Shouldn't you take that?"

Somewhat defensively, Ann replies. "It's probably just my part time job... I think."

Obviously, no. She had a very good guess as to who it was, what they wanted. The continued ringing put a nauseous twist in her stomach, which Shiho gulped back down.

_No._

Finding her nerve, Shiho spoke, however quietly. "I... should get going."

"Shiho... are you sure you're okay?"

All the while, Ann's phone continues to ring. It only serves to strengthen Shiho's resolve. "Uh-huh..." She stands up, forces her legs to start moving forward and ignores the panicking voice screaming in the back of her mind.

_For Ann... I'm doing this to get her out of this situation... I owe it to Ann..._

She'd never know it -not for certain- but after she left Ann answered her phone. "...yes?" So tired, so stressed over this whole ordeal...

"So..." It's Kamoshida, his tone not even attempting to hide his wanton lust. "Any further thoughts toward my request?"

Her fist clenches so hard every knuckle pops. "Today won't work... I'm... not feeling so good..." Not anymore she wasn't. "Sorry..." a sentiment more for Shiho than anyone else. "Bye." Then she hangs up and walks away.

...

Shiho hadn't made it very far, stopping just inside the school, the doors to the courtyard. She has her phone out, getting it ready and reading Akira and Ryuji's earlier conversation. She'd been so wrapped up inside her own head that she hadn't even heard the notifications. Just more planning, brainstorming, trying to think of some way to pin Kamoshida's crimes to him.

Of course, they'd come up with almost nothing. Nothing that could be acted on until tomorrow. Just giving Kamoshida more time to do as he pleased, to hurt more people...

_That isn't something I can allow._

Stuffing her phone back into her purse, making sure it was perfectly in place, she gulps and tries to brace herself. She looks up in time to see Akira, standing there and looking at her. "...What?"

The quiet worry says it all, he cant quite bring himself to speak either.

Then she realizes she's standing exactly in front of both doors. "Oh... I'm in the way, aren't I? Sorry..."

He shakes his head, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. "You're hurt..."

She looks away, hand gripping at her other elbow. "...ah...well..."

He reaches into his pocket, taking something out of it. "Here."

Handing her the object, she's slow to accept it. "What is it?"

"It's just a salve, for bruises. Meant to give it to you earlier..."

Her grip on tightens slightly. "Oh... thank you."

He just shrugs, looking like he feels totally useless. "Don't thank me until this is over..." he goes to move passed her, to venture outside.

The expression he's wearing is dark, something weighing him down. "Hey, Akira?" He stops, looking at her over his shoulder. "Don't let the rumors get to you, okay?" He blinks turning around more to actually look her in the eyes. "You're not like that... if you were... you wouldn't be hesitating right now." She smiles, he just... stares, not quite believing this is real. "If they were true, you'd just go into the distortion and end this permanently."

"Suzui..."

"You only just showed up, and here you are trying to save everyone." Then, she smiles like she means it and -not that she'd know- it made him feel nice, for one of the few times he has since arriving here."So don't listen to them, because they're just plain wrong." She turns to leave, gripping tightly at the stap of her purse. "Thanks for talking to me last night... it really helped a lot."

Her footsteps trail away, down the hall, toward Kamoshida's office. Before he walks through the door, Akira whispered to her back. "Anytime..."

Every step somehow took longer to end than the last, yet still she persisted.

_I can do this..._

Her hands clenched, a cold sweat breaking out over her.

_I **have** to do this..._

Raising a shaky hand, she knocks on the door to Kamoshida's office. Her heart is hammering, breath shallow and shaking and hearing his voice makes her chest hurt. "You're sure tonight won't work, Takamaki?" Her hand stops before it can hit the door, her heartbeat so loud she fears he can hear it even through the door.

"heh..." she can tell he's grinning. "We'll see." Then he hands up.

_...Move._

Her arm trembles, refusing to budge.

_Knock. On. The. Door!_

It's slow, painfully slow, slower than a glacier when it bothers to move but she begins to-

The door opens and Kamoshida almost walks right through her. He blinks, surprise overriding everything else at first and all either of them can do is blink. Shiho gulps, barely able to speak, her entire body refusing to hold still. "Ah- I- uh..."

Kamoshida just gives that horrid, sultry smile. "Came by to see me?" When his fingers touch her jaw, her skin tries to crawl off her body. "I'm flattered... just what I need after my rotten day..."

_Nonononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono!_

Actively recoiling, Shiho only barely, _barely_ succeeds in strangling back a yelp of disgust. "I-I came by to prove my leg is fine!" she flinching, her shoulders bunched up to her jawline and body completely rigid. "Y-you can test me! I'll win this time!"

His hand twitches, violently, stopping himself from strangling her. He flashes a look that bares his teeth, for a moment he flickers to the distorted version of himself and she barely stops herself from screaming. Malice in his eyes, rage pushing saliva from his fanged maw as the fire of his demonic halo flares like the sun. His muscles bulge, veins in his neck throbbing visibly.

Then it's the real him, and he's just... smiling pleasantly. She's not sure which is worse, but she refuses to run now. "Very well..." he says with forced temperance, taking her wrist. The force of his grip makes her yelp, and he laughs. "Sorry, sorry... bad day, like I said. Forgive me, **_Suzui..._** "

Her stomach twists up, legs barely adjusting the harsh pace as he yanks her toward the gym. She almost falls over so many times, worrying for her aching knee all the way and he shoves the doors to the gym open, then throws her through them. As he strolls on by, cackling under his breath, she only just manages to keep herself from falling over.

When he speaks again, her knees are still quaking. "Put your bag down, we've gotta prove your mettle." That look in her eyes makes her feel like an ant.

She wants to run, to scream, to hide behind someone, anyone else. Yet she doesn't. She gulps down her fear, walks to one corner of the room and carefully sets her bag down. Eyeing it for a moment, even with the fear making her icy cold and scrambling her mind, she sees it's perfectly set up. Nothing will be missed.

"Well?" Kamoshida almost growls. "I'm waiting..."

Drawing in a deep breath, forcing her nerves to level, she slowly turns around. She's afraid, but refuses to give him the satisfaction of seeing it. "Let's go."

Springing forward, Shiho moves in a blur, and sends the ball flying over the net. Kamoshida almost can't catch it, and she lets the thrill of that override all else. Another blur of movement, ignoring the pain in her leg and she sends it back. Of course, he catches it in time but she's ready. Leaping into the air, that feeling -that wonderful feeling- of flight takes over and her arms move of their own accord. Everything slows down, her arm moves as if guided by a computer and she spikes it at _him._

The ball flies so fast he has to dodge out of the way, and she scores a point on him.

_Yes!_

The ball bounces, then bounces again, and again. Kamoshida can only stare, motionless as it moves away from him. His arena... the battleground where he was the reigning champion... and this little girl just bested him?

Shiho lands, triumphant and grinning and Kamoshida doesn't turn round to face her. He just... walks, right over to the ball. Calmly, he stoops and picks it up. Turning it over a few times in his hands, he considers it. Really considers it, for a very long time.

_...I shouldn't just be standing here._

Her heart starts hammering again.

_I should run, flee, leave while I still can._

He slowly turns around, his eyes boring straight through her.

_but I can't... if I leave now... then this was all for nothing..._

He grins. "Very good, Suzui..." Casually strolling back over to her. "Very good indeed..."

_No more victims._

An arm pulls back, the ball in hand, and then it's slamming against her skull.

The world flickers, moving entirely too slowly, pain envelopes her entire awareness. She doesn't even feel it when her body hits the ground, barely hears it when Kamoshida strides over to her and picks up the ball again. An arm rears back once again, and this time... his target is her wounded leg. Like glass, shattering from some unseen location, everything is pushed passed the point it can function.

Her mind, her nervous system, her resolve, her heart, her leg... the pain becomes a focused point, as if at the point of a needle in her limb and her entire body seizes. At first she can't even breathe. Then, as everything falls back into focus and the pain becomes too much to avoid tears, her voice comes back.

But Kamoshida covers her mouth, shoving the back of her skull against the floor. "Shhhhhhh..." she coos, mockingly. "Wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong idea now, would we?" Her heart is in agony, beating so fast and hard she fears it'll go over the edge and simply stop. "Just a little injury, nothing to write home about... you'll be fine, and I won't ever touch you, or your useless little friend again."

No conscious thoughts are possible, just agony from her limb, her face and the back of her head. A feeling of disease from his touch, making her want to puke.

"I'd be surprised if you could even run right on that leg now." He laughs, overcome with amusement and satisfaction. "So much for that dream of ever being a real volley ball player, huh little girl?" When she finally runs out of breath, unable to really move at all, he lets her go. "Welcome to the real world." Standing up, he just left her there.

Someone else's problem, a mess to be cleaned up.

The door to the gym closes behind him like nothing ever happened, and Shiho forces herself to move. "AHH!" Tears swirl in her vision, she's clenching her teeth so hard they ache.

Yet still she forces herself to stand. It is with agonizing pain, with every single step, that she makes it over to her purse. Dropping onto a nearby chair, she bites her lip and hauls it over to herself. When it swings, bumping against her wounded knee, it takes every ounce of willpower she has not to black out. Her quivering hand grabs her phone, turning the screen to her face.

It was still recording.

_Got you. **I got you!**_

With a press of her finger, the recording stopped. With another, she copied the file. Then she moved it to an editor program and trimmed out everything that wasn't needed. Tears ran down her face, from pain of every kind. "Yeah... welcome to the real world... Kamoshida." With a forced, pained grin, she copied the edited file and sent it to Akira and Ryuji.

**_Shi: I got our proof. Please tell me it's all we'll need..._ **

She pushes a trembling hand into her purse, fishing for any kind of painkiller she can find. Of course... there was nothing there... Just moments later, the boys reply. Gulping back her nerves, she forces herself to look at the conversation.

**_Ryu: He's a fucking dead man..._ **

**_Ren: Oh my god..._ **

**_Ryu: I'M GONNA KILL THAT BASTARD!_ **

**_Ren: Suzui, please tell me you're alright._ **

**_Shi: is it enough to send him to jail?_ **

**_Ren: are you safe?_ **

**_Shi: Akira, please. Tell me._ **

**_Ryu: Shiho..._ **

**_Ren: ...yeah. I'll make sure this isn't ignored._ **

**_Shi: thank you..._ **

It's autopilot that shuts off her phone, dropping it into her purse. Autopilot that makes her get up, limping for the door. It's all that's running inside her mind, all that has her moving at all. The nurse's voice barely reaches her, even as he's asking her what happened. She doesn't say anything even when guilt nearly breaks him down in tears, doesn't tell him what happened. All she knows is that she's done.

Her leg was done.

It would never have the same strength, flexibility and she might be limping for the rest of her life. Even if she wasn't kicked off the team, she wouldn't be able to play. No more volley ball, no more sports scholarship.

_No more flying..._

Something about her mother is said, she shakes her head and tells him not to bother. Shiho just stands up and... limps away. Her only consolation was that Ann would be safe. Everyone would be safe, Kamoshida was going to be punished.

_It's just as well..._

Even as she smiled, turning her face to the skies above as she stands in the courtyard, tears started streaming down her face.

_It wasn't really flying anyways... after all..._

* * *

Only ringing. Ren just keeps calling her, but it's only ringing and ringing.

**_"We're sorry, but the number you are calling_ cannot-"**

His thumb slams on the button, hanging up and then he's calling Ryuji. "Tell me we're gonna hurt this bastard after all."

"Is she answering you?"

Ryuji blanched. "What? No, she's probably had it! You saw what happened to her!"

"Yeah, I did..." A memory from just an hour ago is flashing before his eyes.

For the rest of his life, even if he came down with alzheimers, dementia, he'd remember that smile. The look she gave him, the way she ignored the worry for her. Treating herself as disposable, preparing to throw herself to the wolves. It was only a hunch, a cold fear in his gut, but every instinct he had told him to listen to it. Better to look like the idiot drama-boy than be wrong about this.

"That's exactly why we need to make sure she's okay, Ryuji... you know her friend, right?"

He hummed, almost groaned really. "Pah, you mean Takamaki? Ain't she-"

"She's Suzui's friend," Ren interrupted, "she'd know if this was foolish, right?"

Ryuji hesitated. "You're really worried, huh?"

"Yes..."

Another moment's hesitation. "I'll let her know yer callin her. We'll find her."

He was able to breathe just a little more freely. "Thank you."

"Don't. I owe ya, remember? It's what friends are for."

Ryuji hung up, leaving Ren to stew and worry by himself. At this exact moment, they had no idea if she was away from Kamoshida. If he wasn't still right there, able to hurt her. Maybe he'd thought better of leaving her there, suspected she was doing exactly what she did and had gone back to stop her. To make sure never, ever did what she'd planned to do and never could.

_Tell me I'm wrong... just tell me I'm wrong..._

His phone rang and Ren answered it immediately. Takamaki's voice, her tone was exceedingly worried too. "What. Happened!?"

Ren gulped."Have you tried calling her?"

"Yes! She's not answering me either! What the hell happened!?"

He forced himself to keep calm. "Takamaki... please tell me you know where she might be."

"I don't know!" She shrieks, making him wince. "I asked everyone I could think to, no one knows where she is! She wasn't at practice, no one saw her leave school, none of the teachers have any ideas; I don't know!"

Hysterics... not something he knew how to contend with. "Okay, just... breathe. We're going to find her. Did you try her parents?"

"Sh-she just has her mom. I'll call now, let you know soon."

He smiles. "She's going to be fine, Takamaki."

For a moment, she pauses, not saying a word. Then, when she does speak, her tone is threatening and vengeful. "She'd better be." Then she hangs up.

_What a woman... I hate to be her enemy..._

Left alone with his thoughts, he quietly tries not to panic. Maybe there was somewhere he could search, maybe the faculty offices had a list of addresses he could scour. If Kamoshida was stupid or arrogant enough to bring her to his home, something he'd already tried with Takamaki, then there was a chance-

_Wait..._

...'No one saw her leave school'...

Could it... could it be that simple?

...He started running. Slim leads were better than nothing, and he needed to know she was okay. When he threw himself into this mess, he hadn't meant, hadn't wanted to drag anyone else into it. No one who couldn't fend for themselves, no one who hadn't awakened to their inner selves, their persona. Now, at this very moment, exactly that was possibly happening. Someone who needed to be protected was in harms way, because he just _had_ to rush in and 'try to save everyone'.

Lungs burning, water running in his mouth, he careens down the road back to the school. All the lights are out by now. No one still inside, the doors all locked. Plunging a hand into his pocket, he takes out his phone and activates the app. Seconds later, he's in the distorted school and he turns it off.

_One way to bypass the locks..._

Cupping his hands to his face, he calls out for her and gets no reply. So he tries again. "Suzui!" Nothing. No reply.

_I want to be wrong... I want to be wrong..._

Something clatters, his ears perking up and he spins around. Where had that come from? Something had to have made that noise! It happens again, some loose pebbles falling and hitting the outside of a windowsill.

_...What?_

Stepping forward, his eyes scan about. He sees an exit to the courtyard close by. Stepping forward, he opens the door and looks up only for his eyes to go wide and heart to sink.

_No. No no no no!_

She's right there, on the fucking roof, standing right at the edge. From that lifeless, emotionless expression and her dead eyes, he knows eactly what she's thinking. Knows exactly what's about to happen, and he's four floors below. Even at his fastest, he'd never get there in time, so he tries to scream. "SUZU-"

Eyes closed, arms spread, she... falls. Doesn't jump, doesn't push herself out just a little farther, she lets gravity take over and starts falling head first for the ground. Ren's hand moves in a blur, his thumb hitting the button for the navigation app and he screams in desperation. His arm moves in a blur, sending his phone on a collision course with her falling body. It was all he could do... it had to work, it just had to!

All the same, he's running, sprinting right at her. Legs moving faster, harder than any point in his life he's throwing himself toward her. Foot upon the back of a bench, he dives up, arms outstretched for her as the distortion takes over. The sky changes, the school vanishes and the castle takes its place.

He never had a chance... she falls, right in front of him, and he feels his heart drop.

All he can do us scream her name as she hits the ground with a snap.

...

...

... _Am I dead?_

Her entire body feels so cold... doesn't feel like anything anymore. Everything is so distant, so blank and black and cold. It didn't matter... she'd fulfilled her purpose, wasn't needed any longer. The world would go on just fine, like nothing ever changed.

**_Foolish girl..._ **

_What!?_

She panics, feeling fear as the cold encroaches on her mind.

_I- who are you?_

**_I am you, the you you buried deep within._ **

_...I..._

**_You know my name..._ **

_But-_

**_As I am thou, and thou art I..._ **

_Wait... yes, that-... I remember you.  
_

**_As well you should._ **

_I read about you... it was in a very old book._

**_Faust, Shiho._ **

_I always thought you were like mom... now you're like me._

**_Trapped in hells of our own making, doomed to serve masters who would see us condemned. Tools for their whims._ **

_...That's not what I want to be._

**_No?_ **

_No. No, I'm done being used like that!_

**_But you're dying...what do you plan to do?_ **

_I wont give up!_

**_Yes..._ **

_I'll- I'll fight! I'll do whatever it takes! Oh, god... I don't want to die! What have I done?!  
_

**_You wanted to escape the pain. To escape this feeling of being caged, being helpless. So much so you'd even embrace oblivion._ **

_...yeah..._

**_Shiho._ **

**_Little Shiho..._ **

**_Are you ready... to become your true self?_ **

_...Yes._

**_Are you ready to shed your old skin, and blossom into someone new?_ **

_I am._

**_There will be no going back._ **

_There already isn't..._

**_Heh... exactly._ **

_What do I do?_

**Seize control of my power,** **and break the chains that bind thine heart...**

**Say my name... and thine will, shall become mine own.**

...

...

...

...

.

Ren was on his knees, staring at her body and hoping, begging for something for to happen. Nothing. Nothing happened. She just lay there, limp and cold. His face scrunched up, he fell forward and his palms hit the ground.

"Suzui..." his fists clenched, tears dropping from his eyes. "Forgive me... I shouldn't have let you get involved... I should have protected you..." He collapsed, practically sobbing. "I failed you... forgive me..."

A flicker of light made him wince, but he ignored it. Pain in his eyes didn't matter.

Oh god, what was he going to do? Takamaki was going to be devastated... her poor mother... He was the only one present. The only one who knew where her body was. When he called the police, they'd look up his record and viola, he'd be a murderer for failing to save her life.

All the more reason to make sure Kamoshida pays for everything. To make sure the evidence she gathered for them wouldn't go to waste.

Reaching up he, pushed his hands under his mask and wiped off his face. It was a shaky climb back to his knees, but he-

His eyes bulged open. "Wha-...!?" That light... it was emanating from her body.

Golden white and pouring up into the sky, enveloping her in an almost heavenly glow.

"I am thou... thou art I..."

Then he heard her voice, and with his dropped jaw, he smiled. "Suzui!"

"Mephistopheles... I am Shiho Suzui... and the time has come!" The light exploded, wind almost pushing Ren onto his back as her transformation completed. "For you to **give me my wings!"**

Like gunshots, bursting from her shoulder blades were a pair of white, glistening wings. Wide, powerful and strong, the wind shoved him so hard he had to brace himself with his hands to avoid falling over.

Then, somewhat bashfully, she turned around rubbing behind her head. "H-hey... Akira."

"Hey..." he grinned, wiping off more of his face. "You really scared me."

That beaming smile made her giggle, then blush. "S-sorry... it'll never happen again."

"Better not," he said, standing up, "after what you said earlier... I wanna be your friend, if you'll let me?"

After all he'd done, trying to save her life, trying to protect her and the rest of the team... how could she say no? "Me too." She smiled, stepping forward and he hugged her, holding her tight and smiling at the way her arms wings wrapped around him. "...sorry to keep you waiting, Akira."

* * *

_Falling down  
Rolling the credits as I hit the ground beneath  
Twisted 'round  
Spinning a lantern with a future changing without me  
We meet at the end  
Closing the curtain on a daydream fading to nothing  
All I could do  
Was watch and blur through... empty holes out of view_

_Again those years run on by  
It sings in the sky, fighting the sun setting tonight  
"Let's go home, so we don't  
Lose our way, choosing the wrong road"  
Way too scared to grab and hold in my hand  
Instead I chose to hold it back_

_Let me hug him, let me pray  
My lantern spins away  
Calm in the night but blaze in red or flames  
Writing a love I couldn't say  
See it pass me by, decay inside  
Rot out the truth alive  
And denying all you see, they write this story_

_"See you again" and all the same  
I really didn't want to say  
All of the tears I couldn't dry  
All of my words, were lies were lies  
Remaining friends, just you and me  
I really didn't want to be  
Although you're never to hear my thoughts  
"Sorry and hey...I loved you a lot"_

* * *

_With the birth of Mephistopheles, the Aeon Persona,_   
_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_   
_shall lead to freedom and new power..._


	3. Heart of Fire

_My my,_

_it seems the velvet room has gathered some dust._

_We have been absent for some time,_

_haven't we?_

_..._

_Now..._

_Where were we?_

* * *

Under the pale light of the moon, a lone figure stands in a drafty room. Broken windows, glass littering the floors along with shattered furniture and destroyed personal effects. Bits of tattered cloth, stained with blood were strewn about with more red smeared upon the walls and floors. None of it produced anything approximating a real reaction. Clinical disinterest, cold detachment, that's all it was on his face as he surveyed what had once been his home.

Now it was a crime scene, one he'd only just been allowed onto. As he stepped further into the room, the heels of his shoes grinding broken glass to something finer, the wind swept through his already messy, blond hair. Were it not for the injuries still healing on his face, having the soft material tickling at his face would not quite have ached so much. Wincing, he tried to brush it aside and keep it away.

There was no room for distractions, not when he needed to think.

Reaching his destination, he pushed aside the remnants of his couch and stared at the space it once concealed. On the furthest wall, the one kept bare, he saw it. A splash, a violently splayed stain of red that almost looked like it was still dripping. A gloved hand, without so much as a twitch indicating fear or other extreme emotions, touched the stain. Fingertips lazily traced around it, winding about the circumference of its center as he drew in a long breath.

"This... is where I died."

Turning on his heels, he cast his gaze to the city of Tokyo outside. A hand to his pocket, then he was holding the other piece of evidence he'd hidden during the interviews and examinations. Neither the police nor the press would ever know about it, not so long as he drew breath. A simple, white business card that simply read 'Cleaner Services'.

"You missed a spot, Cleaner." He smirked, as if challenging the man to come soaring back into his destroyed home. Then, with a swish and flick of his wrist, the card went up his sleeve. "But thanks to that little public appearance, you already know that... we can't have it said that Goro Akechi really outdid the Yakuza's best assassin, can we?"

As if on cue, he heard a heavy footstep in the vacant hall behind him.

Grinning, Akechi turned around. "Classic. The killer returns to the scene of the crime." He smirked again, seeming to delight at the irritation on the face of this 'Cleaner' fellow. "But then we can't call you a killer in this instance, can we? Mister Cleaner?"

Flexing his hands, cracking every bone therein, the Cleaner gave his simple reply. "Not yet."

Akechi laughed. "No, perhaps not." Striking something of a pose, a hand flew to the ridge of his own nose as he bowed. "Shall I give you a second attempt? I know reputations are somewhat important to you petty gangsters."

"And to snot nosed punks who don't know when to die."

When Akechi righted himself, eyes meeting that of the Cleaner, his other hand was pressing something on his phone. A funny looking symbol that resembled an eye, wreathed in red. "I guess you're right. After all..." thumb off the button, phone tossed aside, both men's faces remained much as they were as reality contorted around them. "It's all just theatre, isn't it? With us playing our little parts for those who love to watch us work."

In this 'other world' the Cleaner was far more imposing. A hulking brute of a man, flaming horns atop his skull and wielding two, jagged meat cleavers in his red hands. Eyes so empty they'd swallow the whole of space itself attempted to bore holes into Akechi's dashing, white attire, and to melt the golden mask now on his face.

Unimpressed by this rather radical change, the 'Detective' brandished a sword with a blade made of light, aiming right at his opponent. "I wonder... which of your faces is really the mask, Mister Cleaner?"

Not another word was said, before the wind brushed over them both and they charged to meet each other's blades.

* * *

Putting weight on her leg was about as ill advised a decision as she could make. One step and she was biting her lip to avoid screaming, and would have fallen to the ground had Akira not caught her. Some careful maneuvering, shifting her about, and he had her arm over his shoulder. Without much else in the way options, she accepted his aid and bit her lip for a different reason. Voicing the protestations she wanted to would just be counter productive, at this point.

Once she'd been seated on the bench, Akira went to retrieve his phone. His almost assuredly severely damaged phone. Still, his thumb swiped and prodded at it like nothing was amiss, despite the cracks and chipping glass. Shoulders tensed and raised, she mumbled with her wings folding in as they drooped. "Sorry..."

"Just glad you're alive." Was all Akira said, as the world shifted back to normal. Giving her a somewhat bashful look, he sighed. "Um, do you need me to carry you out of here?"

Not immediately catching onto the source of his hesitance, Shiho hesitated at replying.

"What the hell was _**that**_!?"

Apparently hesitating too long, as another voice tore through the night. When they both looked up in alarm, they say it was none other than Mishima now sprinting toward them.

A finger of the battered boy thrust forward, pointing accusingly at both of them in tandem. "You- then he-" between bouts of gibberish and starts and stops, something akin to speech was hidden. "You fell! Then you vanished and-" hands raced to his hair, fingernails tearing at his scalp. "What- I- am I crazy!?"

The two now awakened individuals exchanged worried, awkward looks. Akira seemed just as lost as she was, mostly staring at Mishima with a face so dumbfounded it would be have been comical in other circumstances. Right now, however, seeing that look on his features was somewhat alarming. To make things all the more concerning, while they remained silent, Mishima continued to babel.

not sensing an end nearing, Shiho bit her lip once again and forced herself to stand. It must have shown on her face, just how excruciating the effort was, as both boys jumped to steady her.

"Suzui, what the hell are- are you okay?" Despite all he'd apparently witnessed, Mishima's mind was still frazzled enough that he didn't think twice before asking as much.

In reply she adopted a demeanor her mom had donned for her, many times before. It was a subtle shift, a slight smile and soft tone of voice, but to a worried soul there's little else so comforting. "It's okay, Mishima." Both boys went quiet, Mishima's face alight with wonder and Shiho just kept smiling. "It's all okay, I'm okay..." Akira could only blink, watching the girl be so... reassuring. "You don't have to be scared, okay? Everything's fine, and I can explain once you're calm."

The effect she had was almost immediately; Mishima's shoulders lost their tension, the muscles in his face relaxed. "But... you're hurt, and... you just appeared from nowhere, I-"

Her hand found his shoulder, squeezing softly. "I can explain, just not here, okay?" Relaxing now himself, Akira sighed and stepped away. Phone in hand, he started dialing. "Please... trust me?"

It took a few moments, thinking it through, really weighing the options, but Mishima seemed to relent. He would have slumped completely, had he not been at least partially responsible for Shiho's balance. "Okay... okay, I can wait until your leg is looked at, at least."

Of course, theirs was not the only conversation taking place: Akira had evidently reached his contact. "Yeah, sis, I'm fine." He smiled, rubbing fingers at his eyes. "Listen, I'm just calling because I need something to go viral really fast..." Something was said on the other end which made him chuckle. "It couldn't get much more 'justice oriented' if I tried to make it that way."

Taking the phone from his face, he thumbed through his files until he found the video. His eyes and brow twitched with some intense emotion just looking at the thumbnail, but he sent it without another word.

"Well, well, well..." The voice drifting across the courtyard put an icy chill in their veins, freezing them in place. "What have we got here?" With great slowness, Shiho and Mishima shaking in their shoes, they turned and saw Kamoshida glaring at them. "Shouldn't you brats have gone home hours ago? And what was that I heard about heroics?"

Backpedaling only one step, Shiho fell to the ground with a yelp. Their teacher ignored this all too easily, slowly bearing down on the bespectacled boy with frizzy hair. The teenager's expression was resolute, scathing. Eyes bore into Kamoshida's with a burning malice. It was almost enough to make the teacher smile with a similar hue to color the expression.

"Careful now, criminal. Wouldn't want to do something which would land you in more trouble, would you?" Akira's eyes narrowed, all the while he said nothing. Simply glaring at the man he hated with quiet contempt. Holding his glare, the teacher lost his smile and adopted a sneer. With his eyes stuck on the younger man, he noticed the still glowing screen in his hand. "What do you have there?"

Before Akira could back away Kamoshida's hand had snared his wrist. The grip was so hard that the bones creaked and the boy audibly winced. When an effort was made to take the phone in his other hand, Kamoshida batted his other arm away with hardly any effort. Once the now battered device was in his hand, he tossed Akira aside and turned scrutinizing eyes to the screen.

As the video file -now sent- caught his eye, he blinked. Clicking it with his thumb, it wasn't long before the sounds of his 'teaching session' with Shiho were wafting over the courtyard. It didn't take long for Mishima's fear, as he stared at his coach, to be replaced with utter disgust. A hint of rage flickered across his face. "What..." the unfortunate, battered boy breathed with his hands curling into fists. "what did you _do_?"

Shiho reached a shaking hand toward him. "Mishima..." fear wove itself in thick ribbons through her voice, unsteady as her hand even as she hoped he'd listen long enough to ignore his passions.

Only the boy wasn't hearing it. "Answer me!" At his demand, Kamoshida twitched, shaking with some unseen emotion. "Is Suzui's leg your faul-!?"

The speed at which Kamoshida's arm swung bordered on the supernatural. Knuckles and the back of his hand collide with Mishima's temple, sending him crashing to the ground in a groaning heap while Shiho screamed, Akira reaching toward him as alarm spread across his face. Now the emotion she couldn't see was all too clear, and it left her shaking as violently as this man's tendencies usually were. "Who the hell..." he growled, "do you think you are, criminal?"

When his fingers curled into Akira's collar, hoisting him off the ground, the teenager still didn't flinch. He just kept glaring at him, making no effort to hide his contempt. For all the brute's lashing out, for all his might he was now officially trapped. Freedom would soon be a thing he'd no longer be able to enjoy.

"You can't just show up, in _my_ school and start stirring up trouble wherever you please!" Now his hand was on Akira's neck, his fingers digging in deep. Akira gagged, his voice straining along with his windpipe to function. "Fix this. NOW! Tell your little friend to delete the file! How did you even-" As the sudden realization flitted across his brain, his face showed every inch that it traveled. "You..." he snarled, turning over his shoulder to glare at Shiho, dropping Akira's phone as he did.

Kamoshida dropped Akira to the ground, coughing and gagging as his elbows prevented him from face-planting in the dirt. The lack of air and copious amounts of pain prevented him from leaping to his feet to defend the others. She didn't even have time to flinch before his hands were around her neck, squeezing for all their terrible strength. Clawing at his wrists did little more than irritate him, as he dragged her into the air.

The coach's breath burned across her face, his bared teeth and rabid eyes making him seem like a beast at the edge of madness. She tried to scream, to fight, she really did but his iron grip on her neck was too much, head head was already starting to feel fuzzy, her vision going white. "I keep underestimating you... here I thought you were just another scared little rabbit for me to play with, but there's a warrior in you, isn't there, Suzui?" His bared teeth remained on display, lips twisting into a wicked grin. "Looks like I'll have try harder to stamp that out! Women like you should be more willing to learn their place in this world!"

As he spewed his wretched words, the world around began to twist and contort until they were back in the castle. For a moment, Kamoshida looked around confused, taking in the way the landscape had changed, looking at his now red, incredibly muscular arms. Then his eyes saw Shiho and his jaw nearly dropped. In place of her school uniform, he saw her wearing the trappings of a roman warrior -possibly a gladiator- an ornate, silver domino mask upon her face. The armored bracers on her wrists were wrapped in broken chains, hanging partly suspended as though gravity had almost elected to ignore their existence. The tattered look of her armor and the hefty metal it appeared to be crafted from was... intimidating. This wasn't a student he was strangling now, but a warrior.

A warrior at least partially crafted in his crucible.

Before he could acknowledge this any further, he heard the telltale click of gun's safety somewhere behind him. Slowly, he turned around, and saw Akira pointing what looked like a glock at his skull. A fiery burned behind his eyes, as surely as the ghostly, purple flame that spiraled around the gun he brandished with what the 'teacher' could only describe as murderous intent. "She already knows her place..."

Kamoshida snarled, throwing Shiho aside, letting her ribs crash into the nearby bench as he turned on his heels.

"It's crushing little delusional bastards like you." Closing one of his eyes, Akira prepared to fire as Kamoshida roared and charged right at him.

Blood sprayed off the side of the incubus's face, a crack like lightning that could only be the sound gunfire split the air. Demon howling soon followed, amight swing of his arm, claws extended to cleave down Akira. Metal clashed against claw, his dager drawn just in time, Akira's body straining from the effort to hold back the arm as he fired a few more shots at Kamoshida's chest. To his alarm, the demon's hide didn't let the bullets cut very far. As they launched into a frenzied melee, it left little time for either to notice just how much fear was coursing through they boy's system. Fighting someone with a distorted heart, his only backup operating with one good leg... They'd be lucky to make it out of this alive, if help didn't show up soon.

* * *

Take a moment in time, add anxiety which sends one's pulse soaring, and you will find an eternity. If you're either sadistic or masochistic enough to want to make it worse, endure it with someone experiencing the same. Neither of them knew how long they'd been running, waiting to hear something. Ann couldn't take much more of it, not without her heart giving out from the strain. Stress, physical exertion, guilt...

She was such a fool. How could she have let Shiho alone these last few days, knowing full well what she must have been going through?

_I might've had my own problems, but how could I have just left her to deal with him alone? What did he push you to, Shiho?_

Her heart clenched, tears pushing at the edges of her vision and she curled her fingers into fists.

_No more... I'm not gonna just sit by and only worry about myself anymore!_

Taking off like a missile, she tore ahead toward the school. She'd said it herself, no one had seen her leave it, so there was a chance she was still there. ASt this point, with so much fear and terrible emotions saturating her body, she'd go after even the slimmest of leads to help her friend. Arriving at the front door, she of course found it locked. Cursing under her breath, she started searching for another way in but of course they were all locked too.

"Ugh, come on!" She was starting to feel truly desperate, urgency making her heart hammer like a thousand stampeding feet. "How am I supposed to-!?"

Then she heard someone else running up behind her. Spinning around, she saw- "Wait, Takamaki!?" The other blond -none other than Ryuji- looked almost offended when he saw her. "What the hell are you doing here!?"

She growled, out of patience. "I could ask you the same thing! I'm here looking for my friend!" Eyes back to building, she bit her lip. "But I can't find a way in... if she hurts herself while I couldn't get to her because of a stupid locked door I'll never forgive myself!"

Limited as his options were, Ryuji ran the numbers in his head. "God dammit... ARGH, he's gonna be pissed at me for this!" All the same, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Before Ann could ask what he was up to, he'd pressed a button and the world around started to shift.

Ann's eyes went wide, watching the once familiar school be replaced by an enormous, imposing castle. "Whuh...?"

"No time to explain, come on!" Ryuji, or -at least- a very flamboyantly dressed pirate who sounded like him shouted as he half-ran half hobbled away from the massive, oaken front doors.

Without much choice, she ignored her brain's need to process what was happening and started running after him. It didn't really register that she was crawling through a ventilation duct after him, one that didn't exist on the school's layout, nor did the ornate tapestries and suits of armor lining the halls inside. The sight of a cat limping as fast as it could on past them wasn't at all questioned. When she noticed the shadows, the dark specters that echoed of Kamoshida's crimes, she finally stopped. While Ryuji ran onward, she followed the ghosts toward where they seemed to emanating from.

_If I'm not mistaken... this is the gymnasium._

In she wandered, her eyes and ears taking in everything. The horrid things Kamoshida did to all those he had even a shred of power over.

Finally... she saw the clearest of the echoes, what had happened to Shiho this very night...

* * *

Dizzy as he was, Yuki Mishima was lucid enough to recognize the sound of gunshots. A sense of panic overwhelmed him, throwing his arms over his head as wind roared over his body. Speaking of roaring, the ungodly howling he was hearing could only have been the screaming of the damned. Over the din of the roaring and the terrible wind, he heard what must have been swords smashing into each other. The singing of metal, erupting into calamitous music as the blades collided would almost have been beautiful were it not for intent behind each swing.

Then he heard a familiar voice screaming, the emotion a terrible storm of fury and hate. " ** _Kamoshida!_** " Sakamato, the violent delinquent was here...

Opening his fearful eyes, Yuki immediately wished he hadn't. The school... what the hell had happened to the school!? In place of the courtyard, those familiar walls and windows, he was now cowering at the center of castle. To make things somehow worse, Sakamato was dressed like some sort of eccentric sailor-type and seemed to be shooting lightning from his palms as he swore at Kamoshida.

Speaking of the nightmarish teacher, rather than his familiar face and form, Yuki saw a monstrous, hulking and muscled creature of hell. Standing at an enormous height, its skin blood red, bat-like wings protruding from its back, terrible, black claws at the end of all its fingers and a maw of slimy, jagged teeth. That it was doing battle with two of the scariest students -now wearing completely outlandish outfits- as they wielded what could only have been magic, was not helping matters. How much scarier could this get? What was happening any more?

As it would go, only the answer to what was happening would become readily apparent. While lightning coursed through his body and Akira's dagger slashed at his skin, Kamoshida lashed out with his prehensile tail and snared the ankle of Sakamato's bad leg. Spinning about with incredible speed, he used Sakamato as a club to send Akira sailing through the air. His body collided with glass, smashing straight through it and slamming down somewhere inside the castle.

Giving a please sneer, Kamoshida's hand wrapped around Sakamato's head. With a blood curdling roar, he swung the delinquent through the air and smashed his body against the stony ground of the castle courtyard. The blond went limp, groaning weakly as Kamoshida charged after the other boy he'd been battling. It was, of course, only then that Shiho managed to climb back to unreliable footing.

Limping over to Sakamato, she checked his pulse and seemed to relax a little. Apparently, it was still going strong. "You okay, Mishima?" Her question gave him pause, but his brain decided to nod without his say-so. She just smiled. "Okay. Stay here." As if she were trying to convince Yuki he'd gone mad, she sprouted white, glowing wings from her back and soared after her teacher-turned-demon.

Screaming, palms to his eyes Yuki shook his head violently. "I can't take much more of this! I'm losing my mind!"

"Oh boy... you're not gonna like me, are you?"

Slowly, like he knew what he was about to see, Yuki lowered his hands from his face. Sitting there, tail swishing about nervously, was a semi-guilty looking black cat that appeared to be limping on one of its legs.

Jaw dropped, Yuki could only squawk unintelligibly. "Uh, hi..." the cat said sheepishly, with a rather youthful voice, "usually I'd let you get used to the whole talking cat thing, but we're a little pressed for time at the moment." Turning its head over its shoulder, it grabbed the hilt of knife with its mouth. Before he could ask what it was for, the cat dropped it on his hands. "Okay, here's the situation: my friend is currently fighting a demon with a two injured rookies backing him up! I can't help him with my leg like this... so I need you to jump in and help him, okay?"

No, scratch that. He still had absolutely no idea what was going on. "Wha- I... **_WHAT!?_** "

The cat sighed, "Okay... I need to listen very carefully, because no one has time for me to say it twice."

* * *

All Ann could do was stand there trembling. It was equal parts nausea, anger and dread. If she'd yielded to Kamoshida's demands... was this the kind of thing that would have happened to her? Like she even needed ask. Some part of her always knew, the part of her that knew to be afraid from the moment she'd first laid eyes on him. The instinct not to trust, to run screaming for the hills and ignore the consequences of doing so.

The same instincts that were twisting her up inside for not worrying more about Shiho. Turning around, she was about to march outside and find her monster of a teacher and give him what for when something -someone- went crashing through a nearby window. Screaming, she jumped to turn completely around and see a very oddly dressed man groaning on the floor.

As he forced himself to sit up, he noticed her and his eyes went wide. "No... Takamaki get the hell out of here!"

In reply she could only blink, as her brain forcibly recalibrated itself. Why did he sound so familiar? "Wha- no! Not before I find out if-!"

The wall owning a now broken window exploded. As Ann screamed, a monstrous, red hulk barreled down on both of them while rubble pelted both her and this strangely dressed man. In less than a second the man was buried by rock and splintered wood, then he was savagely kicked through the air like a football. She took a step away, shaking with fear, and then the demon noticed her. With a hum that made her stomach churn, it licked its lips, salivating so much it practically poured from its maw.

"Ah... Takamaki..." That voice... Kamoshida? "How kind of you to drop by. That'll make the victory I get over these weaklings so much more... satisfying."

No. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!

Revulsion and terror won over all else and Ann started running. She only made it a few steps before a large, clawed hand had wrapped its fingers around her neck. There wasn't enough room in her throat to scream in his grip, and he started moving so fast the wind stung against her face.

Somewhere behind her, a familiar voice screamed her name. "Ann!?" The voice of her best and only friend in the world. "Hang on!" Along with Shiho, she could swear she heard that odd man swearing and grunting.

Footsteps raced after them as they ran up spiraling staircases, scaling floor after floor of this sprawling castle. Ann's mind didn't have the time to process what was racing by them, Kamoshida's flapping wings and heaving breath seemed to envelop her awareness. At last, bursting through a final set of doors, they arrived at a wide open rooftop seated in the shadow of the castle's tallest tower.

Kamoshida snarled in annoyance, spinning around toward the doors they'd just come through. His drool poured onto her shoulder, soaking through her clothes and making her face turn green. She didn't have time to process how revolted she really was, not before another set of claws was at her throat.

Seconds later, that strange man burst through the doors, followed closely by a... a roman gladiator. A roman gladiator who was having extreme difficulty putting weight on her right leg, which was wearing a very strong brace. _Wait... is that..._ Ann's eyes crept open wider still. "...Shiho?"

Sure enough, Shiho recognized nodded. "It's gonna be okay, Ann." Somehow, hearing that, it managed to calm her hammering heart. "I won't let him hurt you!"

In reply, Kamoshida cackled. "Ah... foolish, little girl. You can barely even stand! You're in no position to be making promises like that." His grip on Ann's throat tightened. "Now... why don't you take us back to the real world, before I spill her blood all over this roof."

Shiho gritted her teeth, a clenched fist glowing witha bright, golden light. "Don't you dare! You said-!"

"That was before you recorded that slanderous video and planned to spread it around, you bitch." The man's grip on his gun tightened, eyes narrowing. "If you hadn't decided to try and ruin the magnanimous Kamoshida's reputation, I would have honored my word."

That just made Shiho even more furious. "Only because your leverage on her wasn't going to work anymore!" The light blossoming from her hand had started to take shape, forming the faint silhouette of a blade. "I can't play on the team anymore because of what you did to my leg, so you couldn't use my starting position to blackmail her anymore!" Finally, the light exploded, and in its place Shiho now held a gladius, a shield gripped tight in her other hand.

At this, Kamoshida merely laughed. "Yeah... you're right. Thanks for this, really. Without all this, I'd have nothing to lord over you and use to get with this _delicious_ specimen of womanhood."

His hand started to drift downward, toward places he was and would never be allowed to touch, only for a gunshot to crack like thunder. Kamoshida growled in pain, his hand immediately jerking away as his head started bleeding again. "Try and touch her like that again..." Said the strange man, "and the next one goes through your eye."

With the pure malice dripping from his voice, there was no on earth who wouldn't have believed him. "Prude..." Kamoshida snorted. "You just want her body all for yourself, is that it?"

The strange man scoffed. "Hey, Takamaki?" She met his eyes, those... somehow familiar eyes of his. "How badly do you want to hurt this guy, for all the things he's done?"

The question gave rise to a feeling she couldn't presently name. Ambition, the need for retribution. "More-..." she choked. "More than anything..."

A look on Shiho's face, even under the mask, screamed that she knew what was coming and dreaded it. "Wait, are you sure she's-?"

The strange man aimed his gun right at her chest. "Listen to the voice... accept it, what it says and your inner self."

Thoroughly fed up with not knowing what was going on, Kamoshida snarled. "Stop the cryptic muttering! I will _kill_ this bitch!"

As the gun clicked, Ann closed her eyes while the strange man spoke. "Time to wake up, Ann Takamaki." Then he pulled the trigger.

* * *

No easier the second time than the first. Watching with wide eyes as Ann's chest burst open, blood spraying forth as if from an over-pressurized fountain, as Kamoshida recoiled from the bullet that went straight through her she waited with baited breath for the transformation that was to come. Relief washed over her as though it had come from an answered prayer, a pillar of fire erupting to the heavens. The demon that Kamoshida was only forced to retreat further as his flesh was seared by the heat.

Standing tall, Ann turned slowly round to face the man who'd long been her source of grief. Gone was her uniform and in its place was a set of scarlet attire. The top was a scarlet and black corset which seemed to favor zippers instead of seams. On one side, the corset tapered into what might have been a ball-gown skirt that draped over a leg clad in skin-tight plastic. That same material covered almost every inch of skin she had to show but simultaneously hid... nothing.

It was as if someone had made her outfit specifically with the intention of covering everything, but somehow still leaving _nothing_ to the imagination. It was enough to make both other teenagers blush profusely for a moment before their focus once again found their target. The three of them turned to the now wary Kamoshida, weapons and 'magic' trained on him as the others in their group appeared.

Without any regard for tact or subtlety, Ryuji smashed his way through the double doors behind Akira and Shiho. Lightning crackled over his body as he did his best to kill Makoshida with naught but his eyes alone, brandishing a metal baseball bat riddled with nails. At his side, landing on the roof in a swarm of bats, was a boy dressed in extravagant, black and red formal-wear. He held a rapier in his hand, and his mask was adorned with slender, silver fangs.

Recognizing him immediately, Shiho's voice spoke quietly but urgently. "...Mishima?"

Giving her a sidelong look, the nerve-wracked Mishima winked. "Am I late?"

Twirling his bat around, Ryuji chuckled maliciously. "I'd say we're right on time..." Palms outstretched, both boys gathered the elements their personas represented and soon the others did too.

In Akira's hand, the cursed flame. Ann commanded the fire in purest form, Ryuji crackled with the lightning of a hundred storms, a fierce and bladed wind sang from Mishima's palm. Lastly, in Shiho's hand, a golden and holy light.

What else would Kamoshida do but laugh. "Oh lord... do you losers even know what you look like right now? A bunch of wannabe rebels from some child's cartoon." His wings spread, jagged teeth bared in a wicked, challenging grin. "What can the five of you really hope to do against me?"

At this, Ann's voice cut through the air with a frightening level of composure. "Put you in your place."

All at once, while Kamoshida roared and charged them, they unleashed all they had upon him. Destructive forces left only the elements themselves for their sheer power tore through the incubus. Screams of excruciating pain filled their ears, their weapons drawn as they met him in melee. In tandem, they moved too fast for the demon to react. Blades sliced through his flesh, whip and club battered him to submission as their powers pulsed through his now tormented body.

Landing with varying degrees of grace, the masked rebels sheathed their blades and drew their other weapons while their agressor stumbled. "How..." he whimpered, pain tugging at every inflection of his tone, "how could a bunch of brats..."

"Maybe you shouldn't underestimate the people you beat into the dirt for so long!" Ryuji yelled, priming his shotgun to fire.

At this, Mishima nodded. "I can't tell you how many times I thought about hurting you back, for all the bruises, cuts and fractures you've given me." In his hands, a rather elegant looking crossbow.

Ann, glaring with more ferocity than any of them, brandished a sub-machince gun. "Every time you acted like some entitled creep, trying to coerce me into being with you, you only dug your own grave even deeper!"

Rather than speak, Akira just smirked. His smug expression alone might have been enough to make even the most devout priest punch him in the face. Arm drawn back, ready to hurl her shield as hard as she could, Shiho spoke quietly. "Your turn to be powerless and afraid."

Before Kamoshida could open his mouth to speak, they opened fire. Once again, the full force of their combined weaponry hit him all at once and sent him flying. His screams as he plummeted to the ground with his wings flopping uselessly offered them all some level of catharsis. When he hit the ground, shaking the castle to its very foundations, silence followed. Beckoning for the others to follow him, the tall one with frizzy hair led them back to the front of the school. Phone from his pocket, Akira sighed as he hit the key for the app which brought them back to the real world.

Exhaling sharply, Mishima whispered almost too low for the others to hear. "Trippy... Does that always happen?"

"More or less." Both Shiho and Ryuji said together, before turning to each other and smiling. When their eyes left each other, Ryuji looked a little sad or guilty about something but didn't say what.

Dusting herself off, checking her clothes for that creep's drool, Ann shuddered when she found herself clean. "Thank god..." She muttered, hugging herself as tight as she could. Then, eyes alight with worry, she turned to Shiho and hugged her as hard as she could. "I'm so happy you're okay..."

Looking as though she might cry, the other girl returned her embrace. "Thank you for coming to save me... and for worrying about me."

"Of course!" Ann exclaimed, taking a step back so she could see her smile. "What else was I supposed to do?"

Sighing, Ryuji shook his head and started limping away. "Come on... save the chick flick stuff for when we're far away from that unconscious bastard. Just being here is skeeveing me out now."

Growling, Ann's shoulders bunched up as she spun around toward him. "Chick flick moment!?"

Ryuji just grinned. "Yeah, that touchy feelly stuff you girls are all about? What you and Shiho were just doing?"

Akira hid his snickering face behind a hand, pretending to adjust his glasses while Mishima decided to quietly put some distance between himself and them. "Ryuji..." Ann growled, crossing her arms and boring holes in his head with her eyes.

Motioning that it was time to settle down, Akira cleared his throat. "Sorry, Takamaki, but he has a point. We should really leave before Kamoshida wakes up."

"Makes sense," Shiho agreed, "Where are we- AAAAH!"

Her first attempt to walk on her leg without her newfound wings doing the bulk of the work was met with agonizing pain. Were it not for the fact that Ann and Akira were close by, she have fallen to the concrete and probably broken bones.

While Shiho lowered her face to hide a crimson blush, Ann spoke up. "I vote we get Shiho to the hospital before we do anything else."

Whining, squirming in their arms, Shiho protested. "They're gonna wanna know what happened."

At this, Akira smiled darkly. "Then we can just show them." Patting his pocket, where his phone resided, he was relieved when Shiho nodded.

The group started wandering away, soon joined by a strange, black cat which Shiho didn't recognize. Five people, all from Shujin had now awakened to the power and truth of their inner selves. While it felt like a victory, like the worst of it was now behind them, fate would decree that their troubles related to such things were only just getting started...

* * *

 _The reaper takes what's his,_  
 _That is what they say..._  
 _He wants to take your life_ ,  
 _but it won't be this day..._

_You can feel it burn..._   
_Somewhere deep within..._

_You can hear them scream._   
_What is it they say?_   
_Who's imprisoned here?_   
_Is it you, or they?_

_You can feel it burn_...  
 _Somewhere deep within..._  
 _Death comes for all men_...  
 _Now you come for him..._

_They cannot cage what's in your heart,_   
_Tonight, tonight, tonight..._

_"You cannot leave this place",_  
 _That is what they say..._  
 _The keeper has the key_ ,  
 _But you found a way..._

_You can feel it burn,_   
_Feel the flames surround..._

_From the darkness you,_  
 _You can hear him say_...  
 _He has the power here_ ,  
 _but you will take it away..._

 _You can feel it burn_...  
 _Feel the flames surround..._  
 _You can see his fear_...  
 _As you strike him down._

_And now you see what sets apart_   
_Tonight, tonight, tonight..._

_They cannot stop you now no,_  
 _Nothing can stop you now_...  
 _Let the flames consume you..._  
 _Let the fire burn..._

 _You will not be denied,_  
 _Death takes no bribe_ ,  
 _Can't stop you tonight,_  
 _Your heart of fire burns inside,_  
 _This heart of fire burns tonight,_  
 _This heart of fire burns tonight._


End file.
